Thursday, September 28, 2017

Book Review: Temporary by Sarina Bowen & Sarah Mayberry

Author: Sarina Bowen, Sarah Mayberry
Series: N/A
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Rennie Road Books
Release Date: September 12th 2017
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: Author
Blurb (from Goodreads):
The most beautiful man I've ever seen is the one who can ruin everything...

The first time I lay eyes on Callan Walker, I know he’ll be trouble. With his smug grin, hot Aussie accent and thousand dollar shoes, he’s just the kind of rich guy who always gets what he wants.

And he wants two things: a night of sin, and my cooperation as he outmaneuvers his powerful mother to take control of his uncle’s estate.

I can’t afford either one. I’m the only thing standing between my little sister and the foster care system. He may have money and charm on his side, but I have something even more powerful -- pure desperation. This temp job at his mother’s company can become a full time job for me. It has to.

But when Callan’s eyes rake over my body, sometimes I forget my obligations. His piercing gaze finds the fun, optimistic girl I used to be and not the tired person I’ve become.

And it works--if only for a moment. Our night together was a mistake. I can't afford to get sucked into his high-powered family’s treachery. But the closer I get to Callan, the more layers I find beneath those expensive clothes. Though I can’t forget this is temporary. He’s temporary. I have too much to lose.

Too bad my foolish heart didn’t get the memo...
*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from the authors in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

I read this book a few days ago and I have to say, it's probably one of the best contemporary books I've read in a while.

This book has a lot of pain and turmoil in it. I love that at its core, it's not just about two people falling in love, but about dysfunctional families and people who should be in your corner but aren't, just based on a tiny difference, that really is nobody's business but yours.

Callan is a very hurt individual, one that is trying really hard to get away from his family, but he seems stuck between parties, fancy yachts and hot, nameless women. It takes the death of his beloved uncle to wake him up and force him to try to do something more with his life, something meaningful. I was truly sad for him, that the only thing powerful enough to wake Callan up was the death of his uncle, and it truly shows just how lost he was. Because although he got away from his mother, who's just the most evil woman I've read about in a while, it seems like he's given up on everything that was important to him. It isn't until later in the book that we find out just why that is, why he's not even trying to do something important or useful, and why he's that lost. It really made me sad to read about his family.

On the other hand you have Grace, who's the sweetest woman I've read about in a while, one that struggles with being the best big sister and guardian for her little sister, one who is willing to give up her dreams in order to keep her sister in school, happy, fed, with a roof over her head. I really liked her dedication to her job, even if it was not the right job for her. Clearly she can do more, she deserves a better job, and it's sad that in today's economy, you have a lot of young people having to accept unfit jobs just to get by. I really respected Grace, because it takes a lot of courage and strength to take care of her little sister, to be a role model, at such a young age. I was angry for her when the shit hit the fan, so to say, because she clearly did not deserve to be treated the way she was.

The cool thing about this book is that, even though not physically present, I felt that Jack, the dead uncle, was written in such a way, that he felt like a true character, not just a plot device. I really enjoyed that, and I loved how he was portrayed. I felt like he was there the whole time, and that's something I truly enjoyed. I would love to learn more about him, if a sequel is at any point in the future in the works *makes puppy eyes*

The book is pretty fast paced, and I really enjoyed reading every single page of it. The ending was a bit surprising, and it made me hope for a sequel, because I need it in my life. But even without a sequel, this book was fantastic and I would recommend it to every contemporary romance fan out there.


Monday, September 25, 2017

Cover Reveal: Bountiful by Sarina Bowen

Author: Sarina Bowen
Series: True North #4
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Rennie Road Books
Release Date: October 20th 2017
Blurb (from Goodreads):
No last names. No life stories. Those were the rules.

Once upon a time a cocky, copper-haired tourist sauntered into Zara’s bar. And even though she knew better, Zara indulged in a cure for the small-town blues. It was supposed to be an uncomplicated fling—a few sizzling weeks before he went back to his life, and she moved on.

Until an accidental pregnancy changed her life.

Two years later, she’s made peace with the notion that Dave No-Last-Name will never be found. Until one summer day when he walks into her coffee shop, leveling her with the same hot smile that always renders her defenseless.

Dave Beringer has never forgotten the intense month he spent with prickly Zara. Their nights together were the first true intimacy he’d ever experienced. But the discovery of his child is the shock of a lifetime, and his ugly past puts relationships and family out of reach.

Or does it? Vermont’s countryside has a way of nurturing even tortured souls. The fields and the orchards—and hard won love—are Bountiful.


Preorder here:

Amazon 
iBooks  
Kobo 

About Sarina Bowen


  
Sarina Bowen is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. She lives in Vermont's Green Mountains with her family, six chickens and too much ski gear and hockey equipment.

In 2016, Sarina became a Rita Award winner! The Romance Writers of America honored HIM by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy with Best Contemporary Romance, Mid-Length.

Release Day Book Review & Blitz: Playing With Forever by Amy Andrews

Today is the release day blitz for PLAYING WITH FOREVER by Amy Andrews! Check it out and grab your copy today!

Author: Amy Andrews
Series: Sydney Smoke Rugby #4
Audience: +18
Genre: Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing (Brazen)
Release Date: September 25th 2017
My Rating: 4.5 Cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):
Country boy, Ryder Davis has the world at his feet. A stellar rugby career, a winning way with women and a beach view that keeps him in blue sky and bikini babes. He's living the dream. The last thing he needs is a Great Dane called Tiny destroying his feng shui.

Dog whisperer, Juliet Morgan is about to start living her dream and she's counting down the days. In two months she'll finally be moving to Italy and no man's going to stop her this time. Not even a rugby superstar with a badly behaved pooch.

But when Ryder skids into the animal shelter looking for help Juliet agrees to assist him with his canine issues. Pretty soon they're assisting each other out of their clothes and tumbling headlong into a sex thing with an expiry date.

Neither of them expected it to become more. But when for now starts to feel like forever Juliet hits the panic button. Ryder knows he has to play the long game and let her walk away. After all it's not over until the final hooter sounds and all's fair in love and rugby.

Each book in the Sydney Smoke Rugby series is a standalone story that can be enjoyed out of order.
*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

This series keeps getting better and better with each and every book that comes out and I can't help but fall in love with Sydney Smoke's players.

It was nice to read a book where the roles were flipped, where the woman wanted a no-strings attached fling, while the man is leaning towards a proper relationship, I found that very refreshing. I also loved how Andrews at one point goes to show how comfortable two people can get with each other, that it's only really a matter of perspective, really. Ryder and Juliet have very different perspectives when it comes to how they view their relationship, and it's really interesting to read about that.

I liked Ryder. He was very funny and very sexy, and I liked that he was honest about how he felt about Juliet even though she wanted none of those pesky emotions. I also loved what he did for Tiny. He's such a good man just for taking care of Tiny as if that dog was his. I also liked that he admitted he needed help in managing Tiny, which is not something that most people even think about when getting a dog.

Juliet's story was pretty heartbreaking, really. I do understand why she didn't want a real relationship, although throughout the book it was pretty obvious she was lying to herself the whole time by not giving the proper title to what she and Ryder had. That was the thing I struggled with the most, the fact that ultimately she wasn't being honest with herself and with Ryder. At the same time, I liked that she was open and honest about what she wanted from the start, she didn't lie about her intentions.

Before I finish this review, let me talk a little bit about Tiny. The book starts with Ryder being emotionally conned into taking care of Tiny, and it is incredibly funny to see how he struggled with that dog. On one hand, I laughed like a lunatic, because it is funny, especially when Ryder took Tiny for his first walk and the first morning together. On the other hand, I cringed a little bit, because it was like I was reading about my dog at times (the walking part). I felt super happy to see that Andrews did a fantastic job into working dog training into the situation, which let's be honest, is something that not a lot of people think about when getting a dog. So yay for dog training.

The book was fast paced, it was funny, and it ended almost too fast. I am in love with this series, and I can't wait for book 5, because I am definitely keeping my fingers crossed that there will be a book 5.



Series Order:
Book #1 Playing By Her Rules
Book #2 Playing It Cool
Book #3 Playing the Player
Book #4 Playing With Forever

Buy Now

Amazon | Nook | Kobo | iBooks | Google Play

Add to Goodreads

Giveaway

 

About the Author

Amy Andrews is a multi-published, award- winning author of 50+ romance novels across both traditional and digital platforms. She writes for Harlequin Mills and Boon, Entangled, Harper Collins Australia, Momentum Publishing, Escape Publishing and Tule. She's sold in excess of a million books worldwide and has been translated into over a dozen languages. In her spare time she is a PICU nurse and mother of two teenagers. She lives on acerage on the outskirts of Brisbane, Australia but secretly wishes it was the hillsides of Tuscany.

 
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...