Wren Caswell is average. Ranked in the middle of her class at Sacred Heart, she’s not popular, but not a social misfit. Wren is the quiet, “good” girl who's always done what she's supposed to—only now in her junior year, this passive strategy is backfiring. She wants to change, but doesn’t know how. Grayson Barrett was the king of St. Gabe’s. Star of the lacrosse team, top of his class, on a fast track to a brilliant future—until he was expelled for being a “term paper pimp.” Now Gray is in a downward spiral and needs to change, but doesn’t know how. One fateful night their paths cross when Wren, working at her family’s Arthurian-themed catering hall, performs the Heimlich on Gray as he chokes on a cocktail weenie, saving his life literally and figuratively. What follows is the complicated, awkward, hilarious, and tender tale of two teens shedding their pasts, figuring out who they are—and falling in love. Wren is quiet and a bit shy, she isn't the trouble maker in the family, the prom queen, or even the jock, she just kind of tows the line and does what is expected of her, she doesn't feel she is the shinning star her siblings seem to be. When Wren meets Grayson a troubled lacrosse player at her family restaurant the chemistry is instant and although their relationship is rocky, they both work really hard to make it work despite all the obstacles that keep getting in their way. I liked and disliked this book equally. This book is in two POV's Wren and Grayson's so you can kind of get what the other is going through at the same time. while it had a sweet love story, I wanted to see more of a building up to a relationship rather than an instantaneous were in love and dating kinda story. I wanted there to be more whoooing. Yeah that's right I just used that phrase! and a little more romance. There always seemed to be something or someone trying to get between them, and some of the situations I didn't really feel matched up with Wren's personality in the way she reacted to those situations. Over all I enjoyed the book but by the end I was ready for it to wrap up, and get all these crappy frienemies out of the way. Again I think this a book a lot of teenagers will like, its got a lot of great characters, and for the most part the flow of the book worked. I think this is a good beach book, and something that most readers could get through pretty fast. I gave this book a 3 out of 5 star rating |
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Title: Dreams of Perfection Author: Rebecca Heflin Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing LLC Release date: May 7, 2014 Page count: 252 Genre: Contemporary romance Best-selling romance writer, Darcy Butler, is holding out for perfection in the form of her own carefully-crafted heroes. Once blissfully engaged to be married, Darcy’s post-traumatic commitment phobia is depriving her of the very thing she wants most: her very own happily-ever-after. Now, here she is just six months shy of her thirtieth birthday, and not a Prince Charming in sight. Successful lawyer, Josh Ryan, is the boy-next-door with a soft spot for the less fortunate, and Darcy’s best friend without benefits. Darcy often comes to him lamenting her love-life, or the lack thereof, whereupon Josh patiently doles out his sage advice. Problem is Josh is in love with Darcy. But when Darcy finds herself looking into the handsome face of the man who graces the cover of her soon-to-be-released novel, she’s convinced her dreams of perfection have come true. Or have they? This is a perfect beach read, or lazy day just to get absorbed in a book that didn't have too heavy of a subject line, which was perfect for me after the heavy subject matter of the last book I read. This book reminded me of a Danielle Steel novel. It was a great story. Girl dreams of Mr Perfect but when Mr Perfect literally falls out of the pages of her most recent novel and shows up at her door, something is missing, while they have fun together, something is missing and she can't quite place it. Its a classic friends turned lovers story the character are spunky and fun, there were a few lulls but nothing that wasn't too off putting. All in all this was a cute fun book to read, that was a perfect distresser after a long day at work. I gave this book 3.5 out of 5 stars I had the perfect life. Beautiful and loving husband.Three gorgeous little girls. Successful career. The only thing missing was the white picket fence. I really wanted that fence. Three years ago, I lost that life. I lost my husband. And I lost myself. But, eventually, I found my way through the darkness. I’ve made peace with my new life. I have my girls, and that’s all that matters. They are my world. I have no illusions of ever falling in love again or getting whisked away on a white horse. But then he came back into my life. On a freakin’ motorcycle. There’s no way I’ll let him turn my life completely upside down. Absolutely no way. The question is… How long can I keep pretending that I’m happy with my life being right-side up? Needing a break from my paranormal/urban fantasy norm go to book I found this book in my Kobo library while looking for something to read on my lunch break. Yes I am that girl in the break room with my nose in a book, while everyone is chatting it up I am trying not to spill the contents of my lunch on my lap and ereader. Shocking I know right. This book is a great little romance beach read, very similar in style to a Danielle Steel Novel. The Characters are broken and flawed but lean on each other and try to help each other through the unthinkable When Alex's husband Derek dies she relies on her best friend Harlow (I adore her, everyone needs a friend who will kick your ass and tell you what you need to hear like it or not) to help her put the pieces back to her shattered life. When she least expects it and old friend grudgingly rides back into her life just when she needs it the most. Blake walks back into her life and shakes her world to the core, and its all she can do to keep her walls built up and push him away. Alex is coping barely going through he motions and Blake through his patience and kindness helps her realize that sometimes love is worth the risk. This book is very moving you can feel Alex's loss so poignantly her thoughts and emotions are beautifully described; She is angry, frightened and lonely using whatever is necessary to keep Blake at bay. But some things are meant to be and everyone deserves a second chance at love and who better to fall in love with than someone who knows you better than you know yourself. I love the interactions of the characters, (her kids remind me of my own) I laughed with them, cried with them and like Harlow wanted to yell at them and wring the necks a little. I was pleasantly surprised by this little jewel and can't wait to see what comes next. I gave this book a 3.5 out of 5 star rating. Publisher: Create Space, August 4, 2013 ISBN-13: 978-1490589893 Category: Young Adult, Romance, Chick Lit, Coming of Age, Comedy Tour Dates: January, 2014 Available in: Print & ebook, 262 pages Kelly Callahan had everything going for her. Everything that is, except for a relationship. It wasn’t for the lack of trying, it just seemed like she was a magnet for all the wrong ones. But all of that was about to change the minute she laid eyes on Jake. On a dare from her close friend, Michelle, Kelly accepts a challenge to date and become Jake’s girlfriend within three months. The consequence of losing is global humiliation, and she refuses to lose. Enlisting the help of her childhood friend and confidant, Brian, Kelly manages to catch Jakes attention. She also unknowingly hooks Brian who tries to sabotage the plan. Kelly finds herself with a dilemma; take the final step with Jake and win the plan or follow her heart and reveal her feelings for Brian. Its a classic tale of friendship with complications; Kelly has been friends with Brian for years and has always had a crush on him, without ever telling him the truth about her feelings they have always been "just friends", when Michelle dares Kelly to snag the new guy Jake that works with Brian at the local bar the three month plan begins. This book changes POV from Kelly to Brian so you get an inside look at whats going on in both of their heads which I enjoy when its done right, and in this case it definetly is, there is no real gap in time line when the author switches POV which is the start of a new chapt. Brian has always had a thing for Kelly and though he has never acted on them and they have only ever been friends prefering to never be comitted to one girl Brian finds himself jealous of Jake who he recognizes so much of himself in and walks a fine line trying to help his friend win the bet at the same time as sabatoge her plans. This is just a fun story, a little predicatble for the outcome but a great beach read, perfect for the YA age group. It was a fast easy read and great distraction from all the holiday hubbub that I had been dealing with while testing my new ereader. (Kobo Arc which I love btw) I gave this book a 3 out of 5 rating I was gifted a reviewers copy in exchange for an unbiased review as part of the Three Month Plan tour. The Three Month Plan Website: Www.thethreemonthplan.com Kinberley’s Website: Www.kimberleypatterson.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/Redrockbook Facebook: www.facebook.com/Kpattersonofficial Amazon Be sure to check out Kimberley Patterson author of The Three Month Plan guest post on our author interview / featured author page. Then Now Forever is the second book in the Heartbeat series by Teodora Kostova. Here is my review of the first book. http://ordinarygirlzbookreviews.weebly.com/1/post/2013/07/in-a-heartbeat-by-teodora-kostova.html This is Bepe and Gia's story, they have known each other since they were small children around 8 & 10 yrs old, and became best friends. They have always been friends and always had each others back. From helping Bepe cope with an abusive home life to the death of Gia's father, where they went from friends to lovers. They are each others other half. When tragedy befalls Bepe's family and he moves to Tuscany with his grandfather Gia feels abandoned by Bepe and closes herself off to him determined to remain the best of friends and friends only. The two of them cannot help but be drawn to one another they know each other like no other, Gia's stubborn streak and strong will to never give another person so much of her heart again is getting in the way, that doesn't mean Bepe isn't going to try. I was very intrigued with Bepe and Gia's story when I read In a Heartbeat where you are introduced to them for the first time in Gia's brother Max's and Stella's love story. Even though this is the second book in the series its very much a stand alone book, you would have no problem reading this book without having read the other book. Their story is epic and classic Boy meets Girl they fall in love, Boy looses Girl and has to fight his ass off to get Girl back. I read this book on the plane heading to Miami and I had tears running down my face for young Bepe. These two are passionate and clearly in love and meant to be together that it is so painful to watch them struggle to find their way back to each other and happy ever after. You will route for these two, cry for them, yell at the pages to them, Kostova has done a great job once again. I am a big fan of her work and have reviewed a few other pieces in her library. She is really growing as a writer, and her work just keeps getting better and better as she finds her stride. I gave this story a 4 out of 5 stars I was gifted a reviewers copy of tis book in exchange for an unbiased review as apart of the Then, Now, Forever tour. Publisher: American Writers Publishing Company (July 8, 2013) Category/Genre: Western Romance Sub Category: Paranormal elements ASIN: B00DUEQJYY Tour Date: October/November, 2013 Available in: Kindle/Mobi and PDF, 336 Mason “Tuck” Tucker meets Sass Thornton when she lassos him and drags him from certain death in a flashflood. She dubs him “dumbass” for entering a box canyon during a rainstorm. This label he will hear many times as she struggles against her unwanted attraction to him. Sass’s father, Phil, owns the cattle ranch that she runs with an iron fist. Her father has been keeping two important secrets from her; one about her mother’s murderer, the other about a killer in his bunkhouse who has romantic interests in the attractive young woman. Phil hires Tuck, over his daughter’s strong objections, to run the bunkhouse and control growing racial tension between white cowhands and Mexican vaqueros. The young man surprises Phil with his easy, yet tough and effective, management style. The ranch owner takes Tuck into his confidence, revealing the truth about a deadly gunman terrorizing the bunkhouse. He insists that Tuck deal with the threat without letting Sass know of the danger. Throughout the book, Tuck is haunted by howls of a lone wolf, but only one other person can hear it. The wolf often accompanies life-like dreams of an old Indian ghost named Lost Eagle. The spirit medicine-man repeatedly warns him about a strange destiny he must soon face. When Tuck reveals the dreams to Sass, she cautions him to avoid the cave where the ghost of Lost Eagle is thought to haunt. Despite her distrust of the Native American phantom, the apparition saves Tuck by waking him when an assassin approaches. Lost Eagle prepares Tuck for his fate, foretelling that the young man will soon have to choose life or death between friends. His choice will result in the death of one. The Ghost of Lost Eagle Is a traditional cowboy novella. It has the classic formula for a Cowboy soap opera the heroin is appropriately named Sass, and her young heroic lover has the classic name: Tucker. Cow herding, Gun slinging, and romance are all inclusive in this book. There are nods to the Cheyenne Indian as well. For me, the secondary Characters of Phil the Father, and the Cheyenne Medicine man were the most intriguing part of the story they kept this story from straying into the Harlequin Romance category. I give this Story a 3.5 star rating as I thought the two main characters were too predictable. Their language did not Keep In time with the era in which the story is set- The attempt to make them more Current to our own time actually detracted from the story. -Di Cover by: Cover It Designs http://salon.io.coveritdesigns/page Release date: September 2013 Genre: NA Contemporary Romance (17+ due to sexual situations, language and extremely hot Italian guys :P) Synopsis: Then Gia had let Beppe into her life so easily, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She’d held him when he’d hurt so badly he’d thought he might die; she’d talked him down when he’d been so angry he’d considered doing something he’d regret for the rest of his life. Gia had saved his life. At least once he needed to be strong for her. This right now, this moment, was theirs. It belonged to them, not to abusive or dead fathers, not to guilt, regret or sorrow, not to the past of the future. But will their love survive when tragedy separates them? “I have to go, Gia. I’m tired and I feel empty. I know you need me, but I have nothing left to give you. I need to heal.” “I miss you so much it’s hard to breathe.” Now Beppe was still Gia’s closest friend. But they’d never be anything more than that again. Remembering what it felt like to have the person you love most in the world be torn away from you still hurt. Gia was determined never to be put into that position again. There was never lack of love, but can Beppe win Gia’s trust again? Forever “When I was broken you gave me pieces of yourself and made me whole again.” Add to Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18043990-then-now-forever Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teodorakostovaauthor?fref=ts Twitter: https://twitter.com/Teodora_Kostova Series blog: http://heartbeatseries.blogspot.co.uk/ Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5829316.Teodora_Kostova Blog: http://www.teodorakostova.blogspot.com/ In a Heartbeat Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17447935-in-a-heartbeat?ac=1 Buy Links Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/In-heartbeat-Heartbeat-1-ebook/dp/B00C4XBS52/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=19NH9WKDRZAIY&coliid=I2IYUN6WO6LPU9 Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/In-heartbeat-Heartbeat-1-ebook/dp/B00C4XBS52/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364894169&sr=8-1&keywords=in+a+heartbeat+teodora+kostova Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/301784 In A Heartbeat by Teodora Kostova “I’ve been in and out of hospitals for the past ten months. I’ve had half my liver removed and even though this time the doctors are very optimistic that they’ve removed all of the tumors, they can’t be sure. In another three months they want me here again for a check up. Right now I feel better than I’ve ever felt. I know the damn thing is gone, at least for the moment. Despite that, I can’t make any plans for the future, not yet. I need to go somewhere where nobody knows me, where I can relax and maybe even forget about all this. Where I can meet people who don’t think of me as the girl who lost her father and her brother in a car accident, and who has cancer. I want to have fun, even if it’s for a couple of months.” When Stella decides to visit her estranged cousin Lisa in Genoa, she has no idea Italy will give her a new reason to live. Max Their love is epic. But there are too many things keeping them apart. Stella looses her brother, father and uncle in a devastating car accident that tears her family apart at the age of twelve, six years later she is diagnosed with liver cancer and under goes 2 surgeries to save her life how much tragedy can one family face. Stella just wants to have one epic summer to forget everything, have fun, hook up forget that she is “the girl who lost half her family” “the girl who has cancer” Stella makes plans to visit her best friend/cousin Lisa in Italy for the summer, upon her arrival her first walk on the Italian beach ends up turning her life upside down which excites and terrifies her at the same time. I really liked the story the pacing was good, the sudden switch of POV from Stella to Max threw me off a little at first, but I quickly got over that. Stella and Max have great chemistry; they are attracted to one another they can’t stay away from each other even though Stella is continually pushing him away. The love scenes are hot without being dirty or extremely graphic. I would have loved to delve a little more into some of the other characters but it wasn’t their story to tell so I was content with Stella and Max. Once again Kostova has done a great job, this is the perfect beach read for summer time. I gave this book a 4 out of 5 star rating I was gifted a reviewers copy of In A Heartbeat by the author in exchange for an honest unbiased review. The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon--when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach--an "outlander"--in a Scotland torn by war and raiding Highland clans in the year of Our Lord...1743. Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into intrigues and dangers that may threaten her life...and shatter her heart. For here she meets James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, and becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives. Outlander is a romance novel set in Scotland 1945. Claire and her husband Frank are finally able to spend some quality time together after a long separation due to the war. Frank is a university professor, totally immersed in a genealogical pursuit of his family tree, while Claire, a nurse content to keep busy finding rare and local herbs found in the countryside. One such day after an outing to a local stone circle Claire finds herself transported back in time. Still in Scotland, Claire finds herself in the middle of a Highland Clan raid against the English. Claire finds herself in a host of adventure from the moment she appears in an 18th century Scotland. Captured by the English, then by the Scottish clans, Claire finds her skills as a nurse make her a valuable commodity and can help keep her somewhat safe, while she plots to get herself back to the stone circle and home to her husband Frank. At the mercy of the medieval times and stuck in an era from which she does not belong, Claire finds herself being tried as witch, and being married off to a clansman she doesn’t even know let alone love. This book is a romance novel with one adventure after another. Though this book appears to be about time travel, it does not focus on the time travel issue as much as the people and the place Claire is transported to. I must add that this is not a harlequin romance novel; there is enough adventure and intrigue to keep even the skeptics reading. I am not usually a lover of romance novels; this first book of the series is a 5 star rating. I couldn’t wait to start the next book in the series. Beautiful Disaster by best selling author Jamie McGuire. Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand. Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match. This first book is told through Abby’s perspective. What I really like about this novel was the fact that I didn’t have to sit and read a chapter or two of back story, The reader is just pulled right into the story right from the get go. Its fast paced passionate, dysfunctional, and down right volatile at times. I have to be honest I wasn’t really a big Abby fan I kinda thought she was a bit of a bitch and the way intentionally or not the head games were played drove me crazy I wanted to jump into the pages and ring her neck. I couldn’t help but route for them though. They are both broken and damaged people who seem to bring out the best and worst of each other. While some of the personality traits of some of the characters were down right alarming the author Jamie McGuire brought up some great points of the social stigma associated with casual sex and how perception is everything. Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire. Can you love someone too much? Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder. In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. But just when he thinks he is invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees. Every story has two sides. In Beautiful Disaster, Abby had her say. Now it’s time to see the story through Travis’s eyes. I love when you get to flip perspectives and see the story from another point of view, and that’s exactly what you are getting here, Walking Disaster isn’t a sequel but a companion book as it is the events of Beautiful Disaster just seen through Travis’s eyes. You get a tiny bit of back ground at the beginning of this book and you get to see the event that shaped Travis into the man he became. From the minute he meets Abby he is intrigued by the girl he can tell there is something special about her and that she isn’t as squeaky clean as she wants everyone to believe, and he likes that. I felt sorry for Travis in this book, as you watch him struggle through all the emotions he is feeling, he is an angry passionate man that feels everything so magnified that its frightening for the people around him, I wasn’t sure if that was because he never allowed himself to feel that way about anyone outside of his own family or if it was just the depths of his feelings for Abby either way they come together as a perfect storm they love hard, they fight hard, they all but destroy everything and everyone in the process. I also like that the author gave us a little taste at the end a few years down the road a little extra that wasn’t in Beautiful Disaster. All in all I spent a little over 3 days reading both books and I enjoyed every minute of it. I gave this both of these books a 4 out of 5 star rating If you would like to purchase a copy of Beautiful Disaster or Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire you can purchase them at any major retailer online or in store. |
Reviewers : Kathy & DiKathy :I love to read. I learned to read at a really early age and was never without something to read growing up. Reading is a cheap easy vacation, when you can become so engrossed in what you are reading that you can see, smell, hear and taste everything in your minds eye. I'm just a ordinary girl living life one page at a time. Archives
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