Blog Tour Book Review: Holiday Wishes by Jill Shalvis

Author: Jill Shalvis
Series: Heartbreaker Bay #4.5
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Release Date: November 7th 2017
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: Publisher
Blurb (from Goodreads):

It’s Christmastime again in Heartbreaker Bay!

When Sean O’Riley shows up at the Hartford Bed & Breakfast for his older brother’s bachelor weekend, he’s just hoping to make it through the weekend. What he’s not expecting is to come face to face with the woman he lost his virginity to a decade ago—a woman he’s never really forgotten.

The last time Lotti Hartford saw Sean, she told him she loved him while he said nothing. Now, ten years later, she’s just looking for a good time. For once, she wants to be the wild and free one, and Sean – the good time guy – is the perfect candidate.

But as the weekend continues, Sean realizes that after a lifetime of being the hook-up king, he’s ready to find happily-ever-after, and he wants it with Lotti. But will she open her heart to him again? As Christmas sweeps through the little B&B, he can only hope love and magic are in the air.

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

My journey into the Heartbreaker Bay continues with this cute holiday story of second-chance love. I really enjoyed this story, and it was the perfect kind of love story for the winter season.

Lotti has been through a lot ever since the last time she saw Sean, so when he comes into her B&B, she's determined to ignore his charms and her attraction to him. But I liked that she eventually took advantage of the opportunity to get some sort of closure for herself and for her young heart who got broken all those years ago. I also loved how brave she was when she agreed to help Sean. It was also really heartbreaking once I realized how exactly she was helping him, and I liked that Sean realized and acknowledged that.

Sean was a really great guy. I loved the fact that we get to explore his reasons for doing the things he was doing, because I was able to understand him a lot more. It was also a little bit funny seeing him struggle with Lotti's indifference in the beginning. I like that he got to redeem himself to Lotti. I feel like he received not only a second chance at the love of his life, but also a chance to make up for a lot of things in the past, as he is so willing to admit. Which I enjoyed reading about, because what better time for a story about giving back and giving thanks than Christmas?

It was also fun seeing the other couples, friends of Sean and his brother, and it kinda made me even more curious to read the other books. The pace was great and I read this book pretty fast.

As I said, this story was awesome, perfect for the holiday season, and it strengthened my desire to read the entire series from the beginning. If you're in the mood for a cozy winter read, this book is for you.

EXCERPT

At the empathetic tone in Sean’s voice, Lotti’s heart and stomach and head all clenched in unison. “What do you mean you can’t give me what I want?” she asked. “All you have to do is walk away.”
“Tried that already,” he said. “And it was the biggest mistake of my life.” He brought her hand up to his mouth and met her gaze over their entwined hands.
He was looking at her like . . . well, she wasn’t sure what was going on in his head, but her thoughts were racing along with her pulse.
“You’re incredible, Lotti. I hope you know that.” Very slowly, clearly giving her time to object, he pulled her into him.
Her breath caught at the connection and his eyes heated in response as he slid a hand up her spine and then back down again, pressing her in tight to him from chest to thighs and everywhere in between. His nose was cold at the crook of her neck, but his breath was warm against her skin. She felt his lips press against the sensitive spot just behind her ear and she shivered. “You’re trembling,” he said, his voice low. “Are you cold?”
“No,” she whispered. Try the opposite of cold . . .
“Nervous?”
“No.” Not even close. The way his mouth moved across her skin was making her warm all over. Not that she could articulate that with his body pressed to hers and his fingers dancing over her skin. She was literally quivering as the memories of what it felt like to be touched by him washed over her, as if no time at all had gone by.
Yes, she’d let him think that their time together had sucked for her. But it hadn’t. Not even close. That long-ago night he’d evoked feelings and a hunger in her that she’d never forgotten. “I’ve just had a long day,” she said.
“I know. I’m going to make it better.” He pressed a kiss at the juncture of her jaw and ear before he made his way to her lips for a slow, hot kiss, his mouth both familiar and yet somehow brand-new. She was so far gone that when he pulled back she protested with a moan, but he held her tight, staring down at her with heated eyes. “Just checking,” he murmured.
“Checking what?”
“That you want this as badly as I do.”

Double Cover Reveal: Fallen Ink and Restless Ink by Carrie Ann Ryan

The Denver chapter of the Montgomery family may have come to a close - but Carrie Ann Ryan is introducing us to the Colorado Springs branch next year, and we cannot WAIT! We have not just one, but two, covers from this new series to share with you today. Check out the awesome covers below and preorder your copies now!

 

About FALLEN INK

Releases April 17th, 2018

The first in a brand new Montgomery Ink spin off series!

The Montgomerys are coming to Colorado Springs and they’re bringing their ink and angst with them. Three Montgomery sisters have watched their brother and eight of their cousins find their happy ever afters and want nothing to do with walking down the aisle and men who don’t understand what they want—in bed and out. Add in a brand new tattoo shop, family secrets, and a tragedy that no one was prepared for, the Montgomerys are ready to set the world by storm…or at least find a relationship that won’t break their hearts.
Each book can be read as a stand alone.
The Montgomery Ink: Colorado Springs series is set in the same world as the Montgomery Ink, Gallagher Brothers, and Whiskey and Lies series.

FALLEN INK releases April 17th, 2018 - preorder your copy now!

✦Amazon http://amzn.to/2o3TFZm ✦iBooks http://apple.co/2pIvQml ✦Barnes & Noble http://bit.ly/2zxrNik ✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2oP3BVC ✦Google Play http://bit.ly/2hOzaJZ

About RESTLESS INK

Releases September 18, 2018

The second book in the Montgomery Ink: Colorado Springs series.

More information coming soon!

RESTLESS INK releases September 18th, 2018 - preorder your copy now!

✦Amazon http://amzn.to/2xykEQ9 ✦iBooks http://apple.co/2hj9JDL ✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2hiqorn

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 2.0 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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Comic Book Tuesday #30: Charmed: A Thousand Deaths by Erica Schultz

Author: Erica Schultz
Series: Charmed Vol. 1
Audience: +18
Genre: Comic Book
Publisher: Dynamite Book Distributors
Release Date: October 11th 2017
My Rating: 3 Cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Dynamite Entertainment is proud to continue the story of Phoebe, Piper, and Paige, television’s fan-favorite witches, in all-new adventures set within the official continuity of Charmed! A dark force has set its sights on the art world of San Francisco, utilizing a gallery exhibit to feed souls to the underworld and unleash demons into our reality. Only the Power of Three, harnessed by the Halliwell sisters, can stop the madness! Collects issues 1-5.

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

I have a confession to make: I haven't watched Charmed. I watched a few episodes back in the day, but it didn't catch me. I don't know why exactly. My guess is it was because it was airing at the same time as Buffy, and I loved Buffy, and I was a one-TV show kind of girl at the time. I was a kid, okay? Anyway, I saw this on Netgalley a few weeks ago and I thought I'd give the Charmed sisters another try, and now I'm kinda thinking about watching the show too.

The story in this comic book is pretty simple, when you think about it. Basically a bad guy with a lot of power wants to bring some pain and mayhem on Earth and decides to help another bad guy that wants the sisters dead. I feel that for the number of issues this volume had, the story was enough, however I kept wishing for a bit more depth. There were a lot of things that could have been explored more, like what Shaina can do and what are the limits of her power, what this place where souls go is like and more. I also didn't particularly like the fact that for as bad as he was, the sisters managed to get rid of the villain so fast, based on how devious he was. Djall was pretty smart and pretty evil, and I believe he deserved a bit more struggle from the sisters' part. That being said, the story is pretty short, so it kind of makes sense that it was all solved so quickly.

The artwork was pretty amazing. I liked it a lot. The panels weren't too crowded, and they were easy to read and to follow. The colors used were very pretty and vibrant, but they also got pretty dark when the story went to darker scenes, which I liked. I love it when the color tones follow the story-line like that.

All in all, this was a pretty good story, and it made me curious about the sister and their stories, so I might be inclined to watch the show now.

Release Day Blitz - At Your Service by Lexi Blake

 

Juliana O’Neil’s promising future was burned away in the heat of battle. She had been an officer with a bright future in the military, but now she is struggling to survive. Her husband gone and her career in shambles, she finds a job at Top as a hostess and tries to put together the pieces of her life. The last thing she needs is any kind of male attention, but she can’t help but be amused at her neighbor and coworker’s lothario antics. Not that she would have anything to do with him, at least not for more than one night.

Javier Leones doesn’t understand monogamy. No woman could ever be enough for his endless libido, but he has to admit Juliana has his attention. For reasons he doesn’t fully understand, he can’t seem to get the gorgeous redhead with the sad eyes out of his head. After one scorching night together, he realizes he’ll never be able to get her out of his system. But with his reputation, he fears she’ll never see him as more than a one-night stand.

When their passions collide, these new lovers will be forced to confront Juliana’s past and come to terms with Javier’s present. Will they find their way or will this reservation be canceled at the last minute?

 

Amazon | iBooks | Google Play | Barnes & Noble

All alone with the storm. Maybe she should call Kai. And ask him to get out in the middle of this? That seemed pretty selfish especially since she knew exactly how poorly driving in storms could go.
A hard flash of white light made her jump back.
Nope. She wasn’t going there. She was going to stay in the here and now, and that meant finding a flashlight and trying to get some candles lit. Someone was out there working on getting the power back on, and then she would ride out the storm watching rom coms and falling asleep on the couch. It was going to be okay. Deep breath. It was going to be okay.
A few moments later she’d found her one flashlight and had a nice set of candles out, and she was faced with the problem of lighting the suckers. Oh, she had a big box of matches, but she’d never struck a match without her left hand.
A lighter would be easier. She could figure out a lighter maybe. Jules tried holding the box against the table with her stump while she struck the match with her right hand. She fumbled, the action so unnatural it made her slip up and break the match.
And the second one.
And the third one.
Tears pierced her eyes, but she wasn’t going to shed them. She was going to figure this out or she would make due with the flashlight. It was all about adapting. That was what she had to do. Adapt.
She wasn’t going to let this beat her. Normally she was tough. It had happened and she dealt with it, but between the storm and the conversation with Suzanne the day before about her mother and the sweetness of flirting with a handsome man she couldn’t have, she was feeling awfully vulnerable. She wasn’t going to sit here in the dark and cry.
A knock on the door made her gasp and jump.
Fuck. She wasn’t like this. She hated this…this anxiety she got when it rained. It was weakness and she couldn’t abide it.
If you walk away from this you’ll ruin your life, Juliana. Don’t think I’ll watch you do it. You go through with this and you do it on your own. Am I understood?
Sometimes she felt like she was still seven years old, and if she could just get her mom’s attention everything would be okay.
Jules gripped the flashlight and walked across her apartment to the door. It was likely one of the neighbors coming to check on her. Actually, that was an excellent idea. She could go down and see if Mrs. Gleeson needed some company. There were some elderly residents she could check on and a single mom she’d met at the end of the hall. She could see if she could be of any assistance and that would get her through the night.
She opened the door expecting to see anyone but the man she saw standing there.
Javier Leones. He had a flashlight in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. He was wearing jeans and a button down that he’d left undone enough she could see a nice swath of golden brown skin. His hair was deliciously mussed, as though he’d taken a shower and simply rubbed a towel over it to get it dry.
He was big and male and so sexy it hurt to look at him, and Jules realized she could do something else to take her mind off things.
Those plump, sensual lips of his broke into a bright smile. “I thought you might like some company. I know I would. I actually don’t have any candles, so I was sitting in my living room with this sad one flashlight. You look like a woman who likes some candles.”
But she couldn’t light them. She hadn’t figured that part out.
His face fell and he walked into her place, closing and locking the door behind him. “Hey, what’s wrong? It’s okay if you don’t have any candles. It’s cool. Two flashlights are better than one.”
He set the flashlight and wine bottle down and moved into her space, his hands coming up to cup her shoulders. “Jules, what’s wrong?”
She had to be stronger than this. She shook her head. “Nothing. I’m fine.”
His jaw tightened. “Don’t. Please don’t. I live with a stubborn asshole who won’t let me help him in any way. I get that we’ve only known each other for a few weeks, but I thought we were friends. You help me out all the time. You’re kind to me. Fucking let me be kind to you. I spend every day trying to help someone who won’t let me. Please let me feel like I’m worth something.”
If he’d said anything else, joked about the weather or told her to suck it up, she could have, but he’d opened a door. He’d been vulnerable and honest, and she found she couldn’t pay that back with stubbornness.
“I have candles and I can’t figure out how to light them.” Tears rolled down her face. She was vulnerable. All the time. Even when she pretended like she wasn’t.
“You can’t…” he began and then he looked down. Instead of stepping back and giving her space, he drew his hand down her arm, warming her skin where he touched her. It was dark but the moon was full and gave enough light to see the outline of his face. There was no look of horror there. He caressed her arm until he got to the place where she’d been split apart and sewn back together unwhole. He brought it up and wrapped it against his palm, his fingers closing around it until the whole thing was surrounded with his warmth. “You haven’t figured out how to do it yet. Probably hasn’t come up or you would know what to do. How long since you lost your hand?”
“A year and a half,” she said. He was touching her there. No one had touched her there except her doctors and therapists.
Come to think of it, no one had touched her at all since before the accident. Had it really been so long since she’d felt warm flesh against her own? He was so close, close enough that all she would have to do was go up on her toes to brush her lips against his.
Would that be wrong? As long as she remembered who she was dealing with, why couldn’t she take a few moments of respite for herself? If he wanted her.
         

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Top Ten Tuesday #15: Top Ten Books I Want My Future Children to Read

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

Oooh, this is a good topic, guys! There are a ton of books I'd like my kids to read. Because, and I think this is the dream of any bookworm, that their kids will love reading just as much as they do.

1. Harry Potter - This is an obvious one, really. I grew up with Harry Potter, with the anticipation of waiting for that next book and for that next adventure, and I'd love my kids to experience the wonder of Harry Potter
2. Invitation To Waltz - This is one of the most important books in my life as a reader, because not only was it a recommendation from my dad, but also because it was the first "modern" romance book I ever read. It's also a sad book, but kind of innocent at the same time. 
3. Mara - One of the few mandatory readings I finished and liked in school, this was a pretty awesome book, and a fast read.
4. The Hobbit - This is a book about breaking out of the life pattern imposed by society, and finding adventure and finding oneself in that adventure. When I look back at it, it feels like more than just a simple story about a guy trying to find a dragon, it feels like a journey of self-discovery, and for me that's what life is all about. You just have to have the guts to step out of your hobbit hole.
5. Chronicles Of Nick - This is a story, essentially, about not accepting the fact that there's a predetermined path you have to take and there's no way to fight it. It's about choices and how those choices influence the entire future of your life. There's a pretty awesome metaphor that Kenyon uses in her Dark Hunter series about a rock thrown into a lake and how after the rippling of the water stops, the water will still never be the same, because that rock never belonged at the bottom of the lake, which is one of the best metaphor about life in general that I've encountered, and I'd like my kids to fully grasp that. Also I'd start with CoN because it's more age-appropriate.
6. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Going in the same direction as the previous book, Albom's novel is basically about how your actions influence not just your life, but other people's as well, and that no matter how small or big, each of us has an impact on others. 
7. Girl Against The Universe - This is one of the books that accurately shows what a therapist does and doesn't, and it's also one of those books that deals with mental health without attaching the cure of it to finding one's "twue wuv", which is important to me.
8. Vampire Academy / Bloodlines - No matter the gender of these future kids of mine, I want them to read a book where girls and boys are both just as strong, just as capable of kicking ass, and that being feminine doesn't mean a woman can't be a warrior.
9. Pride And Prejudice - There's no way my kids can miss reading this book. This is the actual first romance book that I read, but it's a classical one, a more stylish romance. It's still an important book to read.
10. The Hunchback - This was my first book crush. It is a fantastic adventure book that I remember fondly of and it's a story of redemption in a way.

I would have loved to include more diverse books here, but to my shame I haven't read that many. Which I'm working on changing, because I do want my kids to be able to read them and learn from them.

What about you? Which books would you introduce your kids to?

Obsessed With Covers #43: The Unbinding of Mary Reade, Ash Princess, Sky In The Deep

Y'all know how much I love a pretty cover. I think about...40% of the books that end up on my shelves (be they physical or digital) do so because of the covers. Call me shallow but you have to admit that a pretty, shiny cover will catch your eye faster than a dull, boring one. Two, simple rules that I'll follow:

• 1, 2 or 3 (no more than 3, though) covers per week;
• books should be new-ish; no more than 2 years old.

Oh, before I share the covers that made me drool or want to stare at them for hours and hours, I have to say something. This is a semi-original idea. Why semi? Because almost every book blogger has something similar. The only thing I came up with was the title. If by any chance there's another blogger with a similar feature with the same title, I assure you I'm not stealing your idea. I'm just THAT bad with titles. Believe me, I'd love to be smarter and have a witty name for this feature, but I don't. So, no copyright infringement/theft/steal or anything of the sort was desired. All I can say is sorry :P

So, here are the prettiest covers I've seen this week.

I saw this cover last week and I fell in love. I love sailing ships. I have a thing for them. And any drawing/painting/photograph with a ship in it will catch my eye. What I love most about this cover is that it seems as if the ship is caught in the middle of a storm. Which is kind of fitting for the story itself, at least based on the blurb. I like the colors used for the background, and the fog around the ship. It kind of makes me think that the fate of that ship is hanging on by a thread, that the fog is threatening the ship somewhat more than the storm. There's also a kind of shadow underneath the ship, a weird shape, and I want to know what that is about.

I also like the font used for the title. It kind of looks like it's coming out of the sails, and I love that. I love the cover and I'd love to see it in hardback version.

The Unbinding of Mary Reade by Miriam McNamara

 Aside from ships, I have a thing for fiery designs. This cover is simple and yet it holds a world of tiny details in it. The crown looks like a metal/iron crown that was burned down, and I can see some random designs in the smoke/embers around the bottom part of the crown. I see what looks like wings in the middle, some flowers, maybe some feathers... There's a lot happening with that crown. I also like how the crown seems to be crumbling, the ash slowly falling off and disintegrating on the title. Another really cool thing is that the background is really simple.

I want to know what those designs in the crown mean, and if in any way, shape or form they appear in the story itself.

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

This might be my favorite cover that I've seen lately that has a cover model. The model reminds me of Lagertha. I love that we can't really see her, it makes her more dangerous and more badass, which I love! But at the same time I wonder why exactly half of her face is hidden. What is she hiding? I also love the design on the blade of the axe. I love the feel of the entire cover, and I really, really want to see it in real life. I wonder what designs would there be under the dust jacket of a HB version of the book.







Sky In The Deep by Adrienne Young


What about you? What are some of the more recent covers you've fell in love with?