Sarie Holland is at a college party nursing one beer all night long. She can usually avoid temptation, doesn’t do drugs, and is a very responsible girl. However, on this night she lets herself take one hit off a bong. That one hit sets her down a path that changes her life forever. At this party, because of that bong hit, she is approached by a cute guy and asked for a ride across Philly to “pick up a book” from a friend. She doesn’t realize until after she is waiting for him in her car, how stupid she was. The apartment her friend has gone in to retrieve his “book” was under surveillance for drugs. The cop, Ben Wildey, takes Sarie in for possession, her friend D, having run away, leaving her holding the stash. Continue reading “This Chick Read : Canary by Duane Swierczynski”→
Drew was forced to retire from the NHL because of a bum knee. He’s wallowing in self pity, drinking a lot and wondering what he’s going to do with the rest of his life. One day he gets approached by a woman, Sarah, who says he is the father of her child from a one night stand they had in college. Even though he was skeptical, he sits down and talks to her and was surprised to learn that she isn’t out to rip him off, she has terminal cancer, and wants to give her daughter the chance to know her father. Continue reading “This Chick Read: Dancing in the Rain by Kelly Jamieson”→
The Challenge was to pare down my TBR list during he month of March. The books had to be published before 3/1/17, so no ARC’s! However, I did have some ARC review commitments and that did cut down on my count. Because of those commitments I only gave myself a goal of reading 12 books off my TBR. In one month? Easy peasy! Mixed in with ARC’s? Hmmm. Surprisingly, I still blew it away! At the end of last week I only needed one book to hit my challenge goal. I read three! I’ll admit, one was an ARC but it was a re-release so I thought it counted as it was published in 2013. Lol. All of these books were great. My review for Angelbound is out, and the other two will be soon. Continue reading “This Chicks Take Control of my TBR Challenge Final Count! #TakeControlTBR”→
Wreck of the Nebula Dream is the first in a series of science fiction romance novels. This book was recommended to me by my sister and she never steers me wrong! This was science fiction in that there were aliens and space ships, but it was not a technical NASA geo-physics type science fiction novel it was more Guardians of the Galaxy adventure. Very tongue in cheek, fun, adventurous and yes, romantic!
Captain Nick Jameson is on leave and has to take transport on the Nebula Dream, a new cruise ship that has all the luxuries that a military man really doesn’t give a damn about. However, to get from point A to point B, it’s not a shabby way to travel, and Nick sets in for 10 days in the lap of luxury. Mara Lyrae is on business, and even though she takes notice of Nick, she doesn’t have time for him. Until, just like with the Titanic, the ship strikes an asteroid field and the Love Boat turns into the Poseidon Adventure. Nick, with his skills in the military takes charge of a small group and tries to find a way off the ship. He does not leave Mara behind, of course!
This was a short novel, but really a lot of fun! Nick and Mara have great chemistry, and Mara is also no fainting lady in waiting. She has been trained in firearms and holds her own in dangerous situations. If you like sci-fi and a hint of romance (think pg-13, this is no bodice ripper!) you’ll also enjoy this novel. Check it out! ❤❤❤❤
Last weekend I went to the Nashville Public Library in downtown Nashville to listen to the author Greg Iles speak, and to get his most recent book Mississippi Blood signed for my husband, who is a big fan. This was our first visit, and I have to say that I was really surprised at how gorgeous the library was! This is my second time living in Nashville, combined for a total of seven years so far and I’m somewhat ashamed that I’ve never been. I do have a library card though, so I’m not a complete heathen! (I just get ebooks online…)
We walked into this gorgeous lobby. If you look at the picture below, you’ll see a mezzanine on the second level. There was a fabulous photography exhibit about the hidden treasures in Nashville. Normal houses, churches, etc. where great history has been lived. A small red brick church which was the home of the Civil Rights Movement. A trailer park that Dolly Parton lived in with her uncle when she came to town to sing at the age of thirteen. Some serious and also charming stories went along with these photos, and I recognized a few places in my own neighborhood. It was fascinating!
As you walked up the stairway you see at the bottom of the first photo, these beautiful murals were painted on the wall showing Nashville’s history, from the Civil War until now. We peaked at the mural from our era and tried to find our own neighborhood.
Peaking out through one of the windows was a beautiful little courtyard, still bare from the cold weather, but I’m sure will be gorgeous when the tree’s leaf out and the flowers bloom.
This would be a wonderful spot to sit and read a book in the sun, wouldn’t it? On the second floor opposite the gallery is the Civil Rights Room and a Study Hall, both absolutely beautiful with dark would and a warm atmosphere. You can see the state capital peeking through the window of the Civil Rights Room, which seems totally appropriate!
We spent a wonderful two hours exploring, including listening to Greg Iles speak in a beautiful auditorium. When we left, my husband and I looked at each other and agreed that we had found a hidden gem.
Sometimes the best explorations are in your own backyard, aren’t they? Do you have a hidden gem in your own hometown? How did you find it? I’d love to hear about your adventure!
Kaia had led a very unusual life. Her parents were hired assasins, taking her on jobs with them, until one day – the job hit back. Kaia escapes to live with her “grandparents” in South Carolina, where, for the first time, she leads the life she always wanted to have with her parents. A normal one. One day, ‘stranger danger’ hits town, and she realizes that her parents may not be dead. This book is mostly about her search for them.
I knew I was in for a crazy book when Kaia defends herself from a kidnapping by kicking butt, stepping on the guys neck, and pointing his own rifle down at his head. She’s trying to figure out if she’ll shoot or not, when her boyfriend Oliver walks through the door to pick her up for a movie, and catches her in the act. Does he run screaming from the room? Nope! He follows her into a car and makes a mad escape with her. Ok, not very realistic, but it did keep the pace of the book from slowing down.
I was exhausted from reading this book. It was all action, with only moments for reflection and reason. Kaia didn’t appeal to me very much, and instead I looked for Oliver’s POV to bring a little realism and sanity into the story line. Ok, yes, I understand what kind of book I was reading, but I just couldn’t really care if Kaia ever found her parents alive or dead, and that was the whole plot! I gave this book ❤❤❤ because it was well written and there weren’t too many holes in the plot. I would’ve liked it better if it was told entirely from Oliver’s POV. He was sweet, mixed with a bunch of teenage badass…
I was given an ARC of this book for my honest review, and yep, I was honest.
I have been looking forward to being a part of this Blog Tour because I had previously purchased this book! I laughed to myself about not having read it yet, because it obviously intrigued me because I had in essence, signed up for it twice! Now, we are celebrating its audio release and I want to talk a bit about how much I enjoyed the book.
Christina Bauer has created a fresh new world full of angels, demons, quasi demons, and other fascinating creatures. Our heroine Myla Lewis, is no wallflower. She is a quasi demon who is a fierce arena fighter, sending souls to hell. As Myla’s story unfolds and she learns more about who she really is, her character becomes three demonsional keeping her strength, but also developing tenderness and heart.
This novel has a classic good versus evil theme, and Myla continues that fight against evil that her mother started, before she was born. I liked how that story arc came full circle and that Myla embraced who she was with humor and empathy without the usual teenage freak out. I liked her choices, her friendships, and the fact that family meant something to her, even while distracted by falling in love and fighting evil. ❤❤❤❣
Angelbound Christina Bauer
(Angelbound Origins #1)
Published by: Monster House Books
Publication date: December 30th 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
*Now an audio book!*
Eighteen-year-old Myla Lewis is a girl who loves two things: kicking ass and kicking ass. She’s not your everyday quasi-demon, half-demon, and half-human, girl. For the past five years, Myla has lived for the days she gets to fight in Purgatory’s arena. When souls want a trial by combat for their right to enter heaven or hell, they go up against her, and she has not lost a battle yet.
But as she starts her senior year at Purgatory High, the arena fights are not enough to keep her spirits up anymore. When the demons start to act weird, even for demons, and the King of the Demons, Armageddon, shows up at Myla’s school, she knows that things are changing and it is not looking good for the quasi-demons. Myla starts to question everything, and does not like the answers she finds. What happened 17 years ago that turned the quasi-demons into slave labor? Why was her mom always so sad? And why won’t anyone tell her who her father is?
Things heat up when Myla meets Lincoln, the High Prince of the Thrax, a super sexy half-human and half-angel demon hunter. But what does a quasi-demon girl to do when she falls for a demon hunter? It’s a good thing that Myla is not afraid of breaking a few rules. With a love worth fighting for, Myla is going to shake up Purgatory.
Monster House Books is celebrating the launch of the audiobook version of the best seller Angelbound, both on iTunes & Audible! As a result, every launched book in the series is only $1.99, aka more than 50% off…And that includes Angelbound ACCA, which was only released a few months ago!
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Author Bio:
Christina Bauer knows how to tell stories about kick-ass women. In her best selling Angelbound series, the heroine is a part-demon girl who loves to fight in Purgatory’s Arena and falls in love with a part-angel prince. This young adult best seller has driven more than 500,000 ebook downloads and 9,000 reviews on Goodreads and retailers. It is now available as an audiobook on Audible and iTunes.
Bauer has also told the story of the Women’s March on Washington by leading PR efforts for the Massachusetts Chapter. Her pre-event press release—the only one sent out on a major wire service—resulted in more than 19,000 global impressions and redistribution by over 350 different media entities including the Associated Press.
Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.
Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/CBupdates
I am so excited to be a part of the review tour for Sawyer Bennett’s novel The Hard Truth About Sunshine. This novel is not your typical contemporary romance. It’s a novel that deals with some hard truths, finding the courage to forgive, and falling in love. Please read the blurb and excerpt below, followed by my review.
New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett has written her most gripping and poignant tale yet. Provocatively heart-breaking, audaciously irreverent and romantically fulfilling, The Hard Truth About Sunshine exposes just how very thin the line is between a full life and an empty existence.
Despite having narrowly escaped death’s clutches, Christopher Barlow is grateful for nothing. His capacity to love has been crushed. He hates everyone and everything, completely unable to see past the gray stain of misery that coats his perception of the world. It’s only after he involuntarily joins a band of depressed misfits who are struggling to overcome their own problems, does Christopher start to re-evaluate his lot in life. Continue reading “Review Blitz! The Hard Truth about Sunshine by Sawyer Bennett #excerpt”→
I’ll admit, I got a little off track this week! I actually had a social life! Lol. A hockey game one night and then an exhibit and book signing on another, which was great fun, really! But, with the ARC commitments (two books) and those other activities, I only got one book read that will count towards my challenge. And that book was…. insert drumroll here….
1) Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
This book truly deserves all of the great things everyone has to say about it. Check my blog for a future review!
Take Control of my TBR Challenge Goal – 12 books
Week 1 started off with a bang! 6 books read
Week 2 had a couple ARC’s throw off my total… 4 books read.
Week 3 had great weather, fun extracurricular activities 1 1/2 ARC’s read… and 1 book finished for the challenge.
3 week total- 11 books. I have until this Friday to meet my 12 book challenge, and I know I can easily get that done. So, just to make things fun, do you all think I can get to a higher book total? Anyone want to race me to the end? Ready…Set…Read!
I’ll post one last Take Control of my TBR Update next week! I do want to give a quick Thanks! To Kimberly at the Caffeinated Book Reviewer. This has been fun!
The Unyielding is the third and, I think, final book in the Call of Crows series ending the story arc of Ragnarok, or the end of the world. Erin Amstel is the only one who can steal Stutr, the flaming sword located on the Isle of Corpses. A place where crows are definitely not welcome. Up to the challenge, Erin accepts her fate and dives through the mystical door, accidentally bringing her maybe boyfriend Stieglitz Lundstrom with her. This novel, told with a kind of slapstick, frenetic humor, tells of their journey through mythological lands to retrieve this sword from a corpse eating dragon with the hope of returning in time to save the world. It reminded me a bit of Beowulf, if Jeff Daniels and Owen Wilson in their Dumb and Dumber roles were sent out to heroically save the world. Continue reading “This Chick Read: The Unyielding (Call of Crows #3) by Shelly Laurenston”→
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