Review: Red at Night by Katie McGarry

Red at Night
By: Katie McGarry
Release Date: April 1, 2014
Harlequin More Than Words

Description:
In Red at Night, Stella and Jonah are total opposites. She's the girl with purple hair from the wrong part of town. He's a high school senior who hangs with the cool crowd. Until a car accident leaves him haunted by guilt, and Jonah starts spending time at Stella's favorite refuge…the local cemetery.

Stella knows she should keep her distance—after all, she spent her girlhoo...more In Red at Night, Stella and Jonah are total opposites. She's the girl with purple hair from the wrong part of town. He's a high school senior who hangs with the cool crowd. Until a car accident leaves him haunted by guilt, and Jonah starts spending time at Stella's favorite refuge…the local cemetery.

Stella knows she should keep her distance—after all, she spent her girlhood being bullied by Jonah's friends. Once he's sorted out his tangled emotions, Jonah won't have time for her anymore. Too bad she's already fallen for him.

Review:
This was a very quick read, almost novella size.  I really loved the characters though because even in such a short time Katie McGarry had me invested in the characters. I cared about what happened to them and what was going to happen and that is always such a great thing. Yes it was definitely a little too fast paced as in this definitely could have been stretched out into an average size book but still I liked it.

We meet Stella who is hanging out at the cemetery, guessing she finds peace here and over yonder, yup there's Jonah, someone you wouldn't expect to hang out there but has been there a lot recently.  The two meet, it's adorable their little encounter.  Stella is definitely a weird one but in a cool kind of way and I love her personality even if she doesn't believe in herself as much as she should.  Everyone is worthy, that's all I'm saying.  Jonah on the other hand is completely opposite as he's one of the popular kids, but recently he went through an eye opening experience. 

The two help each other find the confidence in changing that they both needed.  They complimented each other perfectly.  It was all very ying and yang of them to find that balance they had between each other.  It was adorable, quick, easy, and fun but at the same time there were some serious issues that were touched upon and it was just really worth the read.  Go check it out on Amazon; it's free right now and definitely worth it, especially if you like Kate McGarry's previous works. 

Blog Tour: Finding Haven by T.A. Foster - Review/Giveaway

Finding Haven
By: T.A. Foster
Release Date: May 15, 2014

Description:

Power. Money. Control. Love.

He has all but one.

When movie star, Evan Carlson, discovers his girlfriend’s picture with another man splashed on the cover of gossip magazines, he decides he’s had enough of his fishbowl life and attempts to outrun the media frenzy his relationships have become. Driving until the road stops, he ends up on the remote and quaint Perry Island, where a heartthrob can blend in like the locals and be a beach bum as long as he wants. All that changes when Evan meets Haven Owen, aspiring songwriter and the girl he just can’t get enough of. A summer romance turns into something much deeper and Evan gets tangled in his own web of lies to keep Haven in his life. But when his ex tracks him down, Evan learns there are some things you just can’t outrun.

Is the cost of love, losing all control?

Review:

Sometimes you just need to get away from the life you're living and try and find some normalcy, some peace, some comfort and a place to finally call home, or at least a person who you can call home with.  This was the story of Evan trying to find himself again and T.A. Foster did an amazing job telling his story in this little town on Perry Island.  The story was endearing and sweet and quite steamy in all the best ways.  It's the kind of book you can't put down and you definitely know something bad is going to happen but you just know that it has to work out, it just has to.

We meet Evan who is a famous movie star, ex football player who is ready to give his fast paced life style a break especially after his pseudo movie star girlfriend cheats on him quite publicly.  He leaves and keeps driving till he can't anymore landing on Perry Island.  Here we meet Haven who definitely has issues with her father and having to take over the family business especially since she wants to be a song writer.  She even went to school for this, at least to possibly be a music teacher, regardless she knows there is more out there than just Perry Island. 

They have a chance meeting at an important time in Haven's life because she is really at her last string and ready to get out of Perry Island and find someone who can finally understand her and what she wants out of life.  He saves her in more ways than she is even aware of at the time, but at the same time she also saves Evan, who through most of the book goes by the name of Jay.  He’s trying to keep his identity as a secret which works until someone comes looking for him.  This is when the drama starts and the truth comes out.  There is a lot leading up to this though and that’s the best part of this book the getting to know one another and again the very steamy scenes of course. 

Overall I loved this book, everything about it was great.  Loved the location, the experiences, the intimacy, the characters and of course the story line.  This book was a great read, perfect for a summer read if you want something quick and easy with a bit of drama and a good amount of hotness.  Loved this book can’t wait to read something else by this author.  The cover is good too but I wouldn't have minded seeing Evan and Haven at the boat rental location of the shop that could have been a cute cover.  

About the Author:

T.A. Foster is a Southern girl whose heart and spirit are connected to the beach. She grew up catching rays and chasing waves along the North Carolina Outer Banks and now resides in the state with her adventurous pilot husband, two children and two canine kiddos.

Her long love affair with books started at an early age, and as soon as she was able, she transformed imaginative stories into words on paper. Time Spell is T.A.’s debut novel, and the first in a series about a very adventurous, clever, and magical girl named Ivy.

T.A. has an undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a graduate degree in Educational Psychology from Texas A&M University. When she’s not chasing her two-legged and four-legged children or trying to escape for date night, you can find her reading, writing or planning her next beach trip.

Author Links:

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Author Goodreads

Buy Links:

Amazon  | B&N | Smashworks | iTunes

Giveaway:
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Release Day: Finding Haven by T.A. Foster

FINDING HAVEN by T.A. Foster

May 2014

Goodreads

Description:

 

Power. Money. Control. Love.

He has all but one.

When movie star, Evan Carlson, discovers his girlfriend’s picture with another man splashed on the cover of gossip magazines, he decides he’s had enough of his fishbowl life and attempts to outrun the media frenzy his relationships have become. Driving until the road stops, he ends up on the remote and quaint Perry Island, where a heartthrob can blend in like the locals and be a beach bum as long as he wants. All that changes when Evan meets Haven Owen, aspiring songwriter and the girl he just can’t get enough of. A summer romance turns into something much deeper and Evan gets tangled in his own web of lies to keep Haven in his life. But when his ex tracks him down, Evan learns there are some things you just can’t outrun.

Is the cost of love, losing all control?

BUY LINKS:

Amazon | B&N | Smashwords | iTunes

 

 

About the Author:

T.A. Foster is a Southern girl whose heart and spirit are connected to the beach. She grew up catching rays and chasing waves along the North Carolina Outer Banks and now resides in the state with her adventurous pilot husband, two children and two canine kiddos.

Her long love affair with books started at an early age, and as soon as she was able, she transformed imaginative stories into words on paper. Time Spell is T.A.’s debut novel, and the first in a series about a very adventurous, clever, and magical girl named Ivy.

T.A. has an undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a graduate degree in Educational Psychology from Texas A&M University. When she’s not chasing her two-legged and four-legged children or trying to escape for date night, you can find her reading, writing or planning her next beach trip.

Author Links:

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Author Goodreads

 

Promo: The Wedding Contract by H.M. Ward

The Wedding Contract
By: H.M. Ward
Release Date: May 12, 2014

Description:

After I finally get the evil witch at the front desk to hand me my room key, I head for the shower. I was supposed to shoot my best friend's wedding alone, and I couldn't wait to escape New York and Nick.

Yeah, he's beautiful, sexy, and completely charming-but he's stealing my clients. He's done so much damage that I'm going to be lucky if I can keep my studio open for a few more weeks. This wedding means everything to me, and I refuse to let a spoiled brat and his shiny new MBA put me out of business. Screw that.

But then I find myself wearing nothing but a smile when the person I hate most walks through the door to my hotel room-Nick Ferro. Two adversaries, shooting one wedding, and sharing one room for one
week-what could possibly go wrong?

Book Trailer

Post by H.M. Ward.

About the Author:

H.M. Ward is the #1 bestselling New Adult author in the world, having sold over 4 million books in 2013. This NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, USA TODAY, and Amazon #1 bestselling writer's series include: THE FERRO FAMILY: DAMAGED, THE ARRANGEMENT, and STRIPPED; as well as SCANDALOUS, TRYSTAN SCOTT, and SECRETS. Ward was recently featured in FORBES, the WALL STREET JOURNAL, and the WASHINGTON POST.

 

You can interact with this bestselling author at: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorHMWard. Don't want to miss a release date: Text AWESOMEBOOKS to 22828 and get an email reminder on release dates.

 

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Review: Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Second Star
By: Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Release Date: May 13, 2014

Description:
A twisty story about love, loss, and lies, this contemporary oceanside adventure is tinged with a touch of dark magic as it follows seventeen-year-old Wendy Darling on a search for her missing surfer brothers. Wendy’s journey leads her to a mysterious hidden cove inhabited by a tribe of young renegade surfers, most of them runaways like her brothers. Wendy is instantly drawn to the cove’s charismatic leader, Pete, but her search also points her toward his nemesis, the drug-dealing Jas. Enigmatic, dangerous, and handsome, Jas pulls Wendy in even as she's falling hard for Pete. A radical reinvention of J. M. Barrie's classic tale, Second Star is an irresistible summer romance about two young men who have yet to grow up—and the troubled beauty trapped between them.


Review:

Let me just say how much I adore fairy tales and the different variations there may be out there.  I am not one to shy away of a retelling of another story.  Yes this definitely had similarities, character names but this was so different, very modern and very surftastic.  I really don’t know much about surfing, other than what I’ve seen on TV but this world definitely fascinates me.  The world invented by Alyssa B. Sheinmel definitely fascinated me completely, kept me wondering.  I was engrossed in this world of good and dark, searching for what really happened to her brothers John and Michael. 

We meet Wendy Darling as she’s just finished high school and during her summer vacation is going in search of her missing brothers.  She starts off by meeting this surfer who she can’t seem to get out of her mind and with too many chance meetings she finally decides to find and follow him, his name is Pete.  In comes the world of Never land, or we shall call it Kensington in this book.  Of course you have the usual characters, some lost boys and of course Belle.  She was very pixie like but full of spunk and still so very possessive of Pete.  This book had all the classic characters and even a special form of pixie dust – or in this book it was dust – a drug that kept people coming back.  Even the Jolly Roger made an appearance as the bar. It was a very interesting perspective on a really great classic book.

I can’t really tell you too much about it without giving too much away but it kept me going, the story line, the characters and if she would find her missing brothers.  I had hope for her and her adventure.  I did feel a little for Jas’s character I guess he was like the captain hook in the story I think I empathized more with him then I did Pete.  He didn’t seem as endearing as I wanted him to be, very much the selfish character he was born to be I guess.  I can’t help but think about these characters not as the Peter Pan Disney version but of the Once Upon a Time version, you know what I mean.  But these characters were much younger, teenagers, fresh out of high school or dropouts at the very least.  Bought an extra twist to the story line, after all, Wendy never knew how long any of them had ever been there.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone, especially those who like retelling of classic fairytales.  That was just a bonus in my eyes, because this book had you thinking is this for real or not, and will you ever know.  There’s only one way to find out and that’s to read it!

Disclaimer:
I received this book from NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, so that I may give my honest opinion and a review. Whether it is good or not please do not let it discourage you from purchasing/reading the book yourself and forming your own opinion. What might be good for me may not be good for you and vice versa. With that said, Happy Reading Everyone!!!

Blog Tour - Just Breathe by Tamara Mataya - Review / Giveaway

Just Breathe
By: Tamara Mataya
Release Date: May 6, 2014

Description:

Twenty-one-year-old Elle Granger’s boyfriend broke up with her like a coward. He moved to another city without so much as a "goodbye." Devastated and embarrassed, Elle told friends the break-up was mutual and she endured the heartbreaking split without support from the people she's closest with. Instead, she embraced her librarian job as therapy and spent her nights medicated by a thick cloud of pot smoke. With her lungs, and heart, screaming for a break, Elle quits smoking cold turkey. Just when she's about to ask for support from her friends, and let them in on the truth of Jason's humiliating betrayal, her best friend moves to Spain.

Enter sexy-as-hell library patron Dominic, who literally knocks Elle off her feet during a memorable first encounter. Can he help her forget Jason's very existence? He can sure try, and Elle is more than ready to let him. Dominic makes Elle feel wanted and special, and puts effort into coming up with dates that don’t set off her Synaesthesia. Just when Elle is starting to feel whole again, Jason returns, determined to reunite. His effusive apology and reasons for leaving are a balm to her battered ego, but she rebuffs his attention.

But nothing good can last forever, and Elle catches Dominic in a devastating lie. How could she have been so wrong about both Jason and Dominic? Is letting Jason back into her heart a safe bet since he has already proven he can't be trusted? The wrong choice could see Elle's happy ending go up in smoke. But when your only choices are the devils you know, all you can do is JUST BREATHE.

Goodreads

Review:

This was definitely a quick and easy read with some great characters and plot lines.  This book definitely gave new meaning to librarians, and their love for books.  Very fascinating, I don't think I'll look at my librarians the same, he he.  Tamara Mataya did a great job introducing the characters and all the different scenarios in this book, and there is a few to keep up with that's for sure.  Really just made you wish the main character could just catch a break for once.

We meet Elle who has a special condition called Synesthesia, which of course I've never heard of and had to go look up right away.  See I learned something new from this book, here's the definition:

Synesthesia (also spelled synæsthesia or synaesthesia, from the ancient Greek σύν [syn], "together", and αἴσθησις [aisthēsis], "sensation") is a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.^[1][2][3][4] People who report such experiences are known as synesthetes.

Any who, with this condition of course she has to limit her interaction with pretty much everything and anything unless it’s pleasant of course.  That’s a whole other story, but really this book was entertaining and at parts funny and just unbelievable, some guys! That’s all I have to say.  Sometimes in life there are good guys and then there are the bad ones, when you think you’ve found the right one make sure to stick with them and never assume things.  Because we all know that assuming just leads to trouble.

Regardless this story was great to see a woman realize she’s better than some and what she deserves. The only thing I wasn’t fond of was the amount of recreational drugs nonchalantly mentioned in this book as a way of dealing with things.  But that’s just my personal preference it was too nonchalant for me.  The characters other than that were really great and fun, the story was good and even though it took me a little longer than expected the ending of this book was what really lifted me.  Gearing towards the end of the book you can’t help but finish it quickly because it gets that much more exciting.

Love the cover, things its sweet and appropriate for the book.  Author did a great job taking you into Elle’s world.  Oh yeah and before I forget, OMG I wish I had a Dominic in my life, you feel me!!!!

About the Author

Tamara Mataya is currently a librarian; she lurked there for so long recommending books to patrons and shushing people, that she suspects they only hired her so it would be less creepy. Now she’s armed with a name tag, and a thin veneer of credibility. She’s also a musician with synaesthesia – which isn't an issue until someone plays a wrong note, which makes her want to squirm inside out. It makes for a good live show.

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Giveaway:

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Review: We Are the Goldens by Dana Reinhardt

We Are the Goldens
By: Dana Reinhardt
Release Date: May 27, 2014

Description:

Nell knows a secret about her perfect, beautiful sister Layla. If she tells, it could blow their world apart.

When Nell and Layla were little, Nell used to call them Nellaya. Because to Nell, there was no difference between where she started and her adored big sister ended. They're a unit; divorce made them rely on each other early on, so when one pulls away, what is the other to do? But now, Nell's a freshman in high school and Layla is changing, secretive. And then Nell discovers why. Layla is involved with one of their teachers. And even though Nell tries to support Layla, to understand that she's happy and in love, Nell struggles with her true feelings: it's wrong, and she must do something about it.

Review:
Having a sibling can sometimes be a good thing or a bad thing, it all depends on the relationship, the age difference and just how the two of you tend to get along.  In this book we meet two sisters who are very close in age but are at very different mind sets.  It’s interesting to see how the younger sister so wants to be like the older one, only to realize maybe her doesn’t really.  Maybe she just wants to be her own person.  The author had an interesting way of showing their relationship and the issues they are facing, to tell or not to tell, that is the question?

We meet Nell as she is about to embark on her freshman year of high school, her perfect sister Layla has already been there for two years because their parents let Nell start school later, for no reason really.  Anyway Nell idolizes her sister and she wants to be just like her but then things start to change slowly.  There are rumors that are being thrown around about her sister and a certain teacher.  Nell not wanting to believe this, struggles with the idea that maybe, just maybe these rumors are true.

The entire book is told through Nell’s point of view and between the shock of what is going on with her sister, her imagination of two neighbor boys that were dead talking to her and her just trying to fit in at school it’s a bit overwhelming to say the least.  But overall throughout this short book Nell begins to realize things about herself that she didn’t know.  She doesn’t need to be a shadow anymore, she is her own person.

How much do I love her best friend and his family?  Seriously, they all just seem so cute and put together, even through tough times they are a true family that sticks together.  The best friend, who is a guy is just perfect for her.  I just hope they realize what they have before it’s ruined.  Sometimes best friends do make the best partners, any who, that’s beside the point.  Overall the story was really good, kept me wanting to see what would happen next and bought about a new point of view on a serious situation.  I think that dating between a student and a teacher is beyond inappropriate.  Besides the age difference there is a mentality difference and it’s just light years away from one another.  Why push for being an adult, be a kid as long as you can that’s what I say.

Great cover, interesting story and I loved the point of view.  Shows you how everyone can be affected even if they aren’t directly in the situation, it’s like a domino effect.  When one thing goes down so does everything around it.  I definitely do wish though that I would know what is going to happen next, so many different scenarios, but an interesting way to end the book.
About the Author:
DANA REINHARDT is the author of A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life, Harmless, How to Build a House, The Things a Brother Knows, The Summer I Learned to Fly, and Odessa Again. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and their two daughters.

Disclaimer:
I received this book from NetGalley and Random House Children's, so that I may give my honest opinion and a review. Whether it is good or not please do not let it discourage you from purchasing/reading the book yourself and forming your own opinion. What might be good for me may not be good for you and vice versa. With that said, Happy Reading Everyone!!!