#ContemporaryAThon TBR

Hi everyone! I was thinking lately how I kind of fell behind on reading, and I was watching some videos from my favorite booktubers, when I stumbled upon Chelsea's ContemporaryAThon video and I thought this was such a cool readathon that I had to sign up for it.

The rules are pretty simple: you have to read as many contemporaries as possible for one week, starting Monday 11th and ends Sunday 17th, that fit into 7 challenges. For more information on each challenge, as well as general rules, check out Chelsea's video that is linked above. I like the fact that if we can, we can fit a book for more than one challenge, and that really saves me from having to struggle to find the perfect books for each individual challenge. I'm excited to read for this readathon because honestly I've felt a little... I feel like my reading slump is here to stay and I can't have that honestly.

Because we know that I have a slight sale and freebie addiction, most of these books are books I got on sale, they're also mostly ebooks. I'm also pretty sure a lot of them are going to be straight up romance novels that could also fit a potential Smutathon challenge, but I'm not 100% sure of that. Here are the books I've chosen to read:

Excerpt Reveal: Stroke of Luck by B.J. Daniels

 

From New York Times bestselling author B.J. Daniels, comes STROKE OF LUCK—the stunning first novel in her brand new Western-set romantic suspense Sterling’s Montana Series!

STROKE OF LUCK releases on February 19, 2019. Pre-order your copy today!

 

STROKE OF LUCK Synopsis:

He’s hoping to bury the past. She’s ready to settle the score.

The Sterling Ranch’s season opening isn’t going so smoothly. With the ranch’s lodge full of guests and a Montana blizzard threatening, Will Sterling needs help—and he needs it fast. So when his childhood friend Poppy Carmichael agrees to lend a hand, he’s grateful for a second chance…and more enticed by the woman she’s become than he cares to admit.

For Poppy, it was supposed to be a retreat full of horse rides and hoedowns—with a side of showing Will what he’s been missing all these years. But as the snow deepens outside, the guests’ suspicion and mistrust turn sinister inside, catching Will and Poppy in the crosshairs.

Weathering the storm in each other’s arms is all too easy for Will and Poppy, but will a confrontation with a killer mean their reunion is short-lived?

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author B.J. Daniels starts her Sterling’s Ranch series off with a bang in this suspenseful story of romance and revenge.

 

Preorder STROKE OF LUCK here!

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Add it to your Goodreads now!

  Excerpt:  “Bad luck always comes in threes.”
Standing in the large kitchen of the Sterling Mon­tana Guest Ranch, Will Sterling shot the woman an impatient look. “I don’t have time for this right now, Dorothea.”
“Just sayin’,” Dorothea Brand muttered under her breath. The fifty-year-old housekeeper was short and stout with a helmet of dark hair and piercing dark eyes. She’d been part of the fixtures on the ranch since Will and his brothers were kids, which made her invaluable, but also as bossy as an old mother hen.
After the Sterling boys had lost their mother, Dor­othea had stepped in. Their father, Wyatt, had con­tinued to run the guest ranch alone and then with the help of his sons until his death last year. For the first time, Will would finally be running the guest ranch without his father calling all the shots. He’d been looking forward to the challenge and to carry on the family business.
But now his cook was laid up with a broken leg? He definitely didn’t like the way the season was starting, Will thought as the housekeeper leaned against the counter, giving him one of her you’re-going-to-regret-this looks as he considered who he could call.
As his brother Garrett brought in a box of sup­plies from town, Will asked, “Do you know anyone who can cook?”
“What about Poppy Carmichael?” Garrett sug­gested as he pulled a bottle of water from the re­frigerator, opened it and took a long drink. “She’s a caterer now.”
Will frowned. “Poppy?” An image appeared of a girl with freckles, braces, skinned knees and reddish brown hair in pigtails. “I haven’t thought of Poppy in years. I thought she moved away.”
“She did, but she came back about six months ago and started a catering business in Whitefish,” Garrett said. “I only know because I ran into her at a party recently. The food was really good, if that helps.”
“Wait, I remember her. Cute kid. Didn’t her father work for the forest service?” their younger brother, Shade, asked as he also came into the kitchen with a box of supplies. He deposited the box inside the large pantry just off the kitchen. “Last box,” he an­nounced, dusting off his hands.
“You remember, Will. Poppy and her dad lived in the old forest service cabin a mile or so from here,” Garrett said, grinning at him. “She used to ride her bike over here and help us with our chores. At least, that was her excuse.”
Will avoided his brother’s gaze. It wasn’t like he’d ever forgotten.
“I just remember the day she decided to ride Lightning,” Shade said. “She climbed up on the cor­ral, and as the horse ran by, she jumped on it!” He shook his head, clearly filled with admiration. “I can’t imagine what she thought she was going to do, riding him bareback.” He laughed. “She stayed on a lot longer than I thought she would. But it’s a won­der she didn’t kill herself. The girl had grit. But I al­ways wondered what had possessed her to do that.”
Garrett laughed and shot another look at Will. “She was trying to impress our brother.”
“That poor little girl was smitten,” Dorothea agreed as she narrowed her dark gaze at Will. “And you, being fifteen and full of yourself, often didn’t give her the time of day. So what could possibly go wrong hiring her to cook for you?”

 

  About B.J. Daniels: NYT and USA Today Bestselling author B.J. Daniels was born in Texas but moved with her family to Montana at the age of five. Her first home was a cabin in the Gallatin Canyon and later a lake house on Hebgen Lake outside of West Yellowstone. Most of her books are set in Montana, a place she loves. She lives now in a unique part of the state with her husband and three Springer Spaniels. When she isn't writing, she loves to play tennis, boat, camp, quilt and snowboard. There is nothing she enjoys more than curling up with a good book.        

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Cover Reveal: Shouldn't Have You by Carrie Ann Ryan

We're so excited to reveal the gorgeous cover of SHOULDN'T HAVE YOU by Carrie Ann Ryan! See the cover below and preorder your copy now!

 

About SHOULDN'T HAVE YOU

Available May 21st, 2019

I've been many things in my life: daughter, friend, student, lover, wife…and now, widow. Getting past those labels and finding who I could be without them was the hardest thing I've ever done. Then I became friends with Brendon Connolly. Every time I look at him, I see a past, I see a present, and I’m afraid if I look too hard, I’ll see a future.

~~~

I've known Harmony Wynham since before she got married. Before she lost everything. I didn’t know that one day she wouldn’t be just my friend but the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Only I don't think that can happen. Not when every time she looks at me, she sees what she lost, and I can only see what I can't overcome. I love her, even though I shouldn't. Somehow, we need to find a balance. Because if we don't, walking away will be the hardest thing I've ever done—even if it's the only thing I should do.

 

Preorder your copy of SHOULDN'T HAVE YOU!

✦Amazon https://amzn.to/2UtPIKb ✦Apple Books https://apple.co/2MPQ1v3 
✦B&N http://bit.ly/2IE3LpS ✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2rZ7Qhd
✦Amazon Paperback https://amzn.to/2UoW8dj

Add SHOULDN'T HAVE YOU to your Goodreads shelves!

 

The first book in the Fractured Connections series releases April 16th - preorder your copy now!

About BREAKING WITHOUT YOU

Available April 16, 2019

From NYT bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan, comes a brand new series where second chances don’t come often, and overcoming an unexpected loss means breaking everything you knew.

I fell for Cameron Connolly at the wrong time. And when he left, I thought my life was over. But then, after the worst happened, I truly understood what that phrase meant. Now, he’s not ready for a second chance, and I’m not offering one. Though given that our families have been forced together after losing one of our own, I know there’s no turning back. Not this time. Not again. Not when it comes to Cameron.

~~

I never wanted to hurt Violet Knight, but there were reasons I had to leave all those years ago—not that she'd believe me if I told her what they were. I not only left her, I also left my foster brothers. Honestly, I didn’t want to come back to Denver to help run my father’s failing brewery. But when it comes to my brothers, I know I’ll find a way to make it work. Perhaps I’ll even earn Violet’s forgiveness and face the connection we both thought long forgotten in the process. Because I wanted her then, but now I know I need her. I just hope she needs me.

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h2 style="text-align: center;"> Preorder your copy of BREAKING WITHOUT YOU now!

✦Amazon https://amzn.to/2H9Gxra ✦iBooks https://apple.co/2HwiXIi 
✦B&N http://bit.ly/2HgY1WB ✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2ERgyCO
✦Amazon Paperback https://amzn.to/2LiVv44

Add BREAKING WITHOUT YOU to your Goodreads shelves!

 

About Carrie Ann Ryan

Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Redwood Pack, Talon Pack, and Gallagher Brothers series, which have sold over 3.0 million books worldwide. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over fifty novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not writing about bearded tattooed men or alpha wolves that need to find their mates, she’s reading as much as she can and exploring the world of baking and gourmet cooking.

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Book Review: Playing For Keeps by Jill Shalvis

Author: Jill Shalvis
Series: Heartbreaker Bay #7
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: January 22nd 2019
My Rating: 4.5 Cups
Source: Publisher
Blurb (from Goodreads):

If you’re planning on falling in love…

When it comes to the confident, charismatic Caleb Parker, Sadie Lane feels the spark—the kind that comes from rubbing each other the wrong way. She’s a tattoo artist, he’s a straight-laced mogul. But after they accidentally co-rescue an abandoned dog from a storm, Sadie sees a vulnerable side to the seemingly invincible hottie.

you’d better be sure…

Caleb doesn’t do emotions. Growing up the underdog, he’s learned the hard way to build up an impenetrable wall. Perfect for business. Disastrous for relationships. He’s never worried about it before—not until he finally gets behind Sadie’s armor and begins to fall.

… someone is there to catch you.

Both guarded and vulnerable, Sadie and Caleb are complete opposites. Or are they? Shocked at their undeniable connection, can they ever admit to wanting more? That all depends on what they’re each willing to risk.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As a result, my review may contain references to content intended for mature audiences only.

Trigger Warning: This book includes mentions of self-harm.

It's not secret that I adore the Heartbreaker Bay series, so when I found out there was a new book coming out in the series I may have released a few happy, pterodactyl-like screeches. I am so happy to say that this book was just as good as I had hoped.

Audiobook Blog Tour: Between The Sea And Stars by Chantal Gadoury

Author: Chantal Gadoury
Narrator: Dollcie Webb
Length: 6 hours 53 minutes
Series: The Lena Series, Book 1
Audience: YA
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: The Parliament House
Release Date: Dec. 20, 2018
My Rating: 4 Cups
Source: Audiobookworm Promotions
Blurb (from Goodreads):

A legend

A magical shell

A girl who dreamed of something more...

Lena, a Merrow girl, lives in the Skagerrak sea with her father, Carrick and her brother, Javelin, who tells her of the legend of the Merrow Queen murdered by her human lover when greed takes over. But what’s worth spilling the queen’s blood? Gifted from Poseidon, himself, a magic shell gives any human the ability to control both land and sea.

When Javelin is called to join a clan of Merrow soldiers bent on protecting their waters from human invasion, Lena resists Merrow law and ventures to the shore with no choice but to swim to land.

With newfound legs, Lena is whisked away on a new adventure with new friends and new trouble. Everyone seems to want something from her as intrigue lurks around every corner.

Trying her best to hide who she is and remain safe from the dangers of the human world, will Lena finally find where she belongs, or will she be swept into a strong and stormy current by lust, greed, and jealousy?

*Disclaimer: I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Chantal Gadoury. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it, nor did it influence my rating or the content of my review.

I am always interested in seeing how authors rewrite old stories, old fairy tales, and when I heard there was another Little Mermaid story out there, I knew I had to snatch it up and read it ASAP. And let me tell you, I adored it.

Monthly Wrap-Up: January 2019

This month was pretty interesting. I can't believe January is already over, to be very honest. I managed to read a few books, although not as many as I wanted. I did however have a very productive month here on the blog, and I wrote pretty much every day. Here's to hoping this writing mood is here to stay. Let's see how this month went!