Book Review: Breaking the Rules by Cat Lavoie

Author: Cat Lavoie
My Rating: 5 cups
Publisher: Marching Ink LLC
Publishing Date: August 8th 2012
Source: review copy offered by author
Blurb: (from Goodreads)

When twenty-seven year old Roxy Rule’s best friend and roommate accepts a glamorous new job overseas, she expects their relationship to continue as it’s always been—carefree and easy—until they share a heart-stopping kiss moments before his departure. Overcome with mixed emotions, she fights the urge to over analyze the situation and resumes back to her normal life in New York City, working for an intolerable boss at a dead end job, creeping further and further away from her own dreams of becoming a professional chef.

While things become more complicated between her and Ollie, Roxy is sure that nothing can come between two lifelong best friends—not even mild jealousy over a thriving career or a silly little kiss that meant nothing. In fact, it was such a meaningless and forgettable kiss that she convinces herself that it’s not even worth mentioning to her fiancé, although it is all she can think about.

Roxy’s already topsy-turvy life only gets more complicated when her sisters Steffi and Izzie suddenly become her roommates. Steffi is six months into a pregnancy she refuses to discuss and Izzie is in the throes of a premature midlife crisis. Roxy tries to take control of her career, her love life and her sisters – but can she really handle it all? And can the Rule family keep it together – or break under the pressure?

This is one of those books that remind me why I love a certain genre (in this case, chick lit). It has everything I could wish for, and then some: humor, drama, romance, family crisis, surprising twists and turns... Like I said, everything.

Roxy Rule is one of those impossible-not-to-love characters. She's funny, she's friendly, she has an amazing family and a hot best friend. I really loved Roxy. I was rooting for her the entire novel and I was wishing she'd end up with the love of her life, Ollie. Just when things get complicated and she starts to doubt everything in her life, from her job, to her boyfriend, her two sisters knock on her door, needing some time off from their own lives. Her younger sister is pregnant with an unknown man and her older sister just broke up with her  boyfriend. I liked how Roxy tries to protect her sisters and hide the fact that they moved in with her from her parents. And I liked that out of all the sisters, she was the least judgmental one, the one that just listens and waits for things to unfold, the one that doesn't try to pry.

Ollie is Roxy's best friend since infancy. I liked him, even though he gave me a big surprise near the end of the book. I don't know how I would've reacted if I were Roxy, but I liked the fact that in the end Ollie makes things right and he makes the right decision. He's been in love with Roxy for a long time, but he doesn't act on it. I liked that he doesn't force things, though I would've expected more resistance towards all the crap his girlfriend was throwing his way.

I think the subject of love between two best friends is a dangerous subject, but Cat Lavoie wrote a beautiful story and I had a lot of fun reading it. For me, it was one of those books that you start reading and the next thing you know, it's a few hours later and you are reading the last page.

If you love chick lit, you definitely need to read Breaking The Rules.

Cover Love (24)

This feature is hosted by Carmel @ Rabid Reads. The rules are very simple. Choose a cover (or two, or three), preferably new-ish, and share what you like about it. Grab the graphic or don't just so long as you link back.


My pick this week:

This is a pretty cover, isn't it? I'm just wondering if that burst of light in the corner of the jar means the butterfly will escape his prison or not. Like a crack in the wall, you know? Or at least that's how I see it. Anyway, it also looks a little creepy :P




Beautiful Disaster - Jamie McGuire








What about you? What's your pick this week?

Winners: Need by Sherri Hayes

Thank you to all who entered the giveaway to win one of the two ebook copies of Sherri Hayes' new release, Need.

The winners are:

• Nicola
• Kelly

Congratulations! I will send you an email as soon as possible. Please respond to my email in 72 hours (3 days) or I will choose another winner.

Blog Tour Book Excerpt: Promises by Amber Garr

On tour with Bookshelf Confessions

You might remember that Promises by Amber Garr (read my review here) was the very first book with mermaids that I ever read. I loved this book then, I love it know. If you haven't yet decided to start this series (shame on you, really! LOL) here's a little excerpt from Promises:

Excerpt 1.1

I barely heard her parting words as the screen door slammed shut. My head spun in desperation as the anger coursed through my bones. “Get back in here Eviana!” she continued to scream at me. “We are not finished with this conversation!”

I was already racing down the deck stairs toward the sandy beach, kicking off my shoes and unbuttoning my blouse. We are for now, I thought as my blood boiled with rage and resentment. I was going to be trapped! How dare they? This was not the eighteenth century anymore! I had rights!

I stumbled onto the sand, taking just a brief moment to savor the warmth and the feeling of the grains massaging my toes. My shirt came off and I started to unzip my jeans. No one was around. But I wouldn’t care anyway. The water was calling me and it was the only voice that I could hear now. With one pant leg off, I hopped along in my forward progression until the other one was free. My oasis was so close now that I could taste the salt in the air. The sun broke free of a cloud, stopping me for a moment. It was late afternoon with sunset still a few hours away, but the sky had already turning multiple shades of pink and orange. The coloration reminded me of the inside of a brilliant conch shell.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I knew there would be hell to pay when I returned to the house. Marguerite, my mother, had tolerated my rebellious behavior when I was younger, giving me more freedom and second chances than anyone in our clan. But apparently now, at seventeen, I was an adult. Adult enough to bear children. Adult enough to participate in clan gatherings. Adult enough to navigate our youth through their transition period. But not adult enough to choose who to love.

A slight breeze wafted off the ocean, bringing with it scents that filled my gut with
longing. The freedom of the ocean. Why couldn’t I just stay there forever? A gull called
overhead, beckoning me to join him. The splashing waves calmed my inner rage as they ebbed and flowed in a hypnotic pattern. A distant moan of a shipping vessel reminded me of our history. I opened my eyes to see that I was standing alone along miles of sandy beach interlaced with large rocks and cliffs emblematic of the northern California coast. So beautiful. I stripped off the rest of my clothes and ran into the ocean.

As soon as I was under the water, I could feel the transition begin. My lower body ached as the bones adjusted from a life on land to one at sea. Both legs began to fuse together and work as one. My foot bones elongated while I prepared for the agony. I was accustomed to the changes now, but it was still a struggle of mind over matter. Breaking through the surface of the water, I grabbed one last breath before the final jolt of pain ravaged through my body. I bit my bottom lip and squeezed my eyes shut, willing the moment to be over. At last I felt an electric tingle move from my hips to my toes as the hardened iridescent, scales appeared on my tail. I opened my eyes to find that the internal transformation was complete as well. My vision cleared. My lungs expanded. I could hear for miles. I was free.

Do check this book out, you will love it!

Promises (Book One of The Syrenka Series) By Amber Garr

Sometimes following your heart can end up destroying the ones you love.

When seventeen-year-old Eviana Dumahl is faced with the responsibility of an arranged marriage and clan leadership, she is forced to choose between the life required of a mermaid and one of a teenage girl simply infatuated with the wrong guy. Kain, her devoted fiancé, would make a wonderful husband except that she’s been in love with Brendan, a shape-shifting selkie, ever since they were kids. Choosing to abandon her family, her clan, and her life with Kain will have dire consequences far beyond anything she could have imagined.

A war is brewing amongst the clans and Eviana unwittingly becomes a pawn in the intricate schemes of a twisted mastermind. With Brendan’s life on the line, she has no choice but to involve those she once considered friends. Amidst encountering senseless tragedies and immense loss, Eviana discovers that she is more valuable as a clan leader than anyone ever suspected. Her survival is not only dependent upon the loyalty of her friends, but also on her acceptance of a life she so adamantly tried to escape.

Buy Links: Amazon  Smashwords  Barnes and Noble

Blog Tour Book Review: The More I See by Lisa Mondello

Author: Lisa Mondello
Series: Texas Hearts #3
Publisher:  Self-pub
Publishing Date: April 19th, 2012
My Rating: 5 cups
Blurb: (from Goodreads):

As a top-notch cutting horse trainer, Cody Gentry was riding high until he lost his eyesight after a freak chemical accident.Unable to see the hand in front of his face,never mind the horse or cattle he trained, he knows his life is over and slips deep into depression.His whole future hinges on the success of an eye surgery that could give him his old life back.

When guide dog trainer, Lyssa McElhannon, arrives on his ranch like Florence Nightingale coming to save him, he wants no part of her or her guide dog. But something about Lyssa's musical laugh coupled with her tenacity digs under his skin and won't let go. Having been blind most of her life, Lyssa understands the paralyzing fear Cody feels after losing his vision.But she refuses to let the stubborn cowboy waste his life away sitting in a chair when she knows firsthand that a good guide dog can change his world. She just needs one month to prove it to him.

Falling in love with Cody was not part of Lyssa's plan, nor was having him openher eyes to see that there was a whole lot of living she'd been missing out on.

This is my favorite book of the series. I think that, besides the great characters and the romance between Lyssa and Cody, the story itself is exceptional.

I don't think it's a sad story. I feel like it's more a story of triumph, of growth. And there's also this idea that you can appreciate things better if one your senses or your brain doesn't get in the way. I mean, really, you usually read about drop-dead gorgeous heroines (which is  not bad, mind you), but for me it's always refreshing to read about those women who aren't exactly perfect.

I didn't think I'd like Cody. I was afraid he'd be like his dad for some reason. Instead, I found a tortured soul in need of some love. Real love. I respected him a great deal. I don't think I'd be able to go through what he did and not go completely crazy. I liked that he was modest, caring, fun. And he was honest from the start, not trying to be someone different.

Lyssa is also an interesting character. I liked her strength, her courage. She went through what Cody does at an early age, so she knows what it's like to depend on others for even the most simple things. But she doesn't pity him, or make him feel like it's ok to feel depressed or that it's ok to hide from the world, sitting in a chair all day and refuse to do things. She also doesn't try to help him, making him feel useless. I liked that, because she's treating him like he's a normal person, not like someone who can't see.

Like I said, this was my favorite book of the series. I am hoping we'll get more books in this series in the future. I would definitely recommend it to anyone that loves a good romance story and sexy, stubborn cowboys

Blog Tour Book Review: His Heart For The Trusting by Lisa Mondello

Author: Lisa Mondello
Series: Texas Hearts #2
Publisher: Self-pub
Publishing Date: February 15th, 2012
My Rating: 4 cups
Blurb: (from Goodreads)

Ever since Mitch Broader set foot in Texas, he dreamed of owning his own ranch. Now that he’s bought a share in the Double T Ranch, he’s one step closer to the dream. Then his past greets him in the form of a baby basket, complete with infant and birth certificate naming him as the father. He can’t change diapers and work toward his dream at the same time.

When Sara Lightfoot, “Miss Hollywood” in Mitch’s eyes, rescues him with her particular knack for handling his precocious son, he hires her on the spot as a temporary nanny. No matter how much Sara’s dark eyes and warm heart make this bachelor think of making their arrangement permanent, she’s made it perfectly clear she has other plans that don’t include him or his dreams.

Sara Lightfoot never thought she’d return to her home on the reservation. Now she plans to reclaim the life she left by going back to the reservation as a Native American storyteller, teaching the Apache children stories of their culture. She didn’t expect Mitch Broader’s sexy smile or job offer as a live-in nanny to derail those plans. After all she’s been through to come home, can she open up her heart once again to love?

I liked this book a lot more than the first one in the series, Her Heart for the Asking.

First of all, I liked the friendship between Sara and Mitch, their chemistry. And the thing I loved most was that their story didn't feel rushed in any way to me. I loved seeing them together, bonding and trying to figure out what their relationship should be like, all the while keeping their friendship intact.

Sara is a woman with scars. She went through some ugly moments with her ex-husband and she did some things she's not exactly proud of, but she tries to learn from her past and use it to help Mitch. She tries to see the good in everyone, even if she's sometimes mistaken.

Mitch is a very sexy cowboy. But there's a lot more to him than that, trust me. He's funny, stubborn, proud, sensible and he has great taste in music. He had a rough childhood and he'll do whatever it takes too make sure that his son won't go through the same traumatic experiences, even if it means giving up his dreams.

There were some very funny moments, there were some sad moments and everything in between. One thing I adored was that we get some info on what happens currently with Mandy and Beau, the heroine and hero from the previous book. I like getting news about old characters, it makes the stories inside a series a lot more real to me.

I would recommend this book to anyone loving a good romance book.