Title: Forever, Jack (Eversea #2)
Author: Natasha Boyd
Publisher: 358 Pages (June 4th, 2013)
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
From: the Author
Format: eBook
Add to: Goodreads
Order a copy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Check out my review of: Eversea (Eversea, #1)

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: A feisty small-town girl and the Hollywood star who broke her heart

An all-consuming love threatened by fame

One last chance at FOREVER

Keri Ann Butler’s life changed on the night she met movie star, Jack Eversea. She thought she knew a Jack that was very different to the man adored by fans the world over. In the wake of his betrayal and abandonment, Keri Ann has had to pick up and move forward with the life she was supposed to live and has put off far too long.

Suddenly Jack is back, and his explanations for why he left seem more and more plausible, and his declarations more seductive. But being Jack’s latest tabloid accessory isn’t on Keri Ann’s career agenda, no matter how much she is attracted to him. And how can she can ever trust him again?

Jack knows he let the only ‘real’ thing that ever happened to him slip through his fingers. And his hands have been tied to try and stop it. Until Now.

Jack is now fighting to save his relationship with Keri Ann, even as his crazy life threatens to tear them apart. Again. The question is, can he convince her she can have it all? And have him? Forever?

Read how it all began in “Eversea “…

Review: 4 Stars - Forever, Jack by Natasha Boyd is the continuation of the story for the character we met, fell in love with and had our hearts broken in Eversea. In this title we not only receive answers we’re looking for from both books but we have a chance to follow Keri Ann and Jack as they attempt to deal with the fallout from Jack’s past choices and if they’ll survive in the present to make something wonderful for their future.

I can only assume what Keri Ann is facing while trying to come to terms with how things ended in Eversea and once we know the full story it’s more than heartbreaking. I had so many more emotions while reading this title than the first it was beyond sad, frustrating and maddening.

These characters… I just can’t get enough of them so as soon as I finished Eversea I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next and Boyd didn’t disappoint at all.

Keri Ann has more choices she’s facing and Jack has his own to deal with and I often wondered when things would ever even out for them. The heat from love and anger is flowing through the pages. One minute its healing and then the next you are just waiting with baited breathe for something to blow up and boy does it!

Boyd sure does bring her characters to life again in this sequel.

In a word, I loved it. I loved all the ups and the downs. I loved how character driven these two books are and the connection Keri Ann and Jack have and above all I love how Boyd’s characters evolve from the first page of Eversea right through to the last page of Forever, Jack.

I recommend both Eversea and Forever, Jack to fans of wonderful contemporary stories. There’s so much to love about these two books, I can’t even express how great they are. Enjoy!

About the Author: 

Natasha Boyd is a writer with a background in marketing and public relations. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and lives in the coastal Carolina Lowcountry, complete with Spanish moss, alligators and mosquitoes the size of tiny birds.  She has a husband, two sons and a host of scared relatives that worry the next book will be about them.  She is a member of Georgia Romance Writers, Romance Writers of America and Island Writers Network, where she has been a featured speaker. Forever, Jack is the sequel to her award-winning and first full-length novel, Eversea.

Find Natasha Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumblr | Instagram: @lovefrmlowcntry

GIVEAWAY!!!

--4 Kindles (Open wherever Amazon ships)
--2x signer copies of both book 1 & 2 + sea turtle pendant (Open INTL)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'm SO excited to share an excerpt for Heather Lyons' THE DEEP END OF THE SEA! THE DEEP END OF THE SEA is a New Adult Fantasy set for release February 13, 2014 and definitely one you need to add to your TBR pile! 

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

About THE DEEP END OF THE SEA: 

What if all the legends you’ve learned were wrong?

Brutally attacked by one god and unfairly cursed by another she faithfully served, Medusa has spent the last two thousand years living out her punishment on an enchanted isle in the Aegean Sea. A far cry from the monster legends depict, she’s spent her time educating herself, gardening, and desperately trying to frighten away adventure seekers who occasionally end up, much to her dismay, as statues when they manage to catch her off guard. As time marches on without her, Medusa wishes for nothing more than to be given a second chance at a life stolen away at far too young an age.

But then comes a day when Hermes, one of the few friends she still has and the only deity she trusts, petitions the rest of the gods and goddesses to reverse the curse. Thus begins a journey toward healing and redemption, of reclaiming a life after tragedy, and of just how powerful friendship and love can be—because sometimes, you have to sink in the deep end of the sea before you can rise back up again.

Excerpt:

        I let it happen again. The temple settles into that stagnant silence I’ve long learned to loathe, and these are the most cohesive series of words I can string together for many long, desolate minutes. I let it happen again. Resolutions apparently mean nothing, even if crafted under the best of intentions. Had I not, just this very morning, recited a daily pledge held dear to my heart: I shall not let myself be used for death?

        And yet, a man is dead, and I was the weapon that slayed him.

        I move closer to where he now stands, forever frozen in terror, and press my shaking hand against his outstretched stone one. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, though he cannot and never will be able to hear my words. “So, so sorry.”

        His eyes, wide and mercifully detail free, offer me nothing in return. Once I commit his features to memory, I construct a life history with a name worthy of his sacrifice. Walt was single (I can’t bear the thought of spouses and children, thus my collection of singletons) and a bit of a daredevil when he wasn’t volunteering to teach literacy to adults in poverty stricken urban areas. He’d gone spelunking at least a half-dozen times, sky diving twice, and bungee cord diving off some crazy bridge in Colorado just once, on his thirtieth birthday. Walt liked to write poetry; how could he not, when his now-deceased parents had named him after one of the greats?

        Walt liked to talk about poetry, too, which means he needs to be with others like him. I strip off my flannel work shirt, down to a tank top, and get to work. Shoving stones around when half of one’s body is reptilian isn’t the easiest of tasks, requiring a great deal of precision and care.

        As I always tend to do when placing a new statue, I can’t help but flash back to the one and only time I’d broken one of my victims. I’d been tired—he’d snuck upon me when I’d been sleeping—and an overestimated shove sent poor Nikolaos face first against the temple floor. I’d spent most of that night collecting the pieces which once made a whole man, blubbering in misery. As penance, his head, missing an ear and part of his nose, still sits on a shelf in my bedroom. Treat us gently, I like to imagine him telling me nightly before I sleep. We deserve your care.

        I have not failed Nikolaos since. Over the ages, I’ve developed a routine to transfer the statues around the island that includes wrapping the bodies in a thick quilt before putting them up on casters. It takes a painstaking amount of time to shift them short or long distances, but each person deserves nothing less from me.

        Walt’s group sits just outside the temple. They are the philosophers of our island; it only seems natural they would find much to appreciate in both the sun and the stars. I struggle with his body over the stairs—they are tricky to maneuver for me even without hauling a two hundred pound statue—but eventually, I get him exactly where he’ll fit in best.

        “Ladies and gentlemen, this is Walt,” I tell the still faces forming a cluster near a non-functioning fountain. “His poetry is as beautiful as his namesake’s.”

        I angle Walt so his eyes face theirs. It’s late afternoon, and there is soft orange light filtering down upon their features. It’s a beautiful sight, which only saddens me, because all of that talk about death and beauty being intertwined is one of the biggest loads of crap I’ve ever heard. Death isn’t beautiful. Too often than not, it’s messy and brutal; even when done in sleep, there’s still that theft of breath, that failure of a heart. Death is an act of violence.

        I should know. I am one of the most prolific murderers in history. And I think about death constantly.

        I often wonder what my own death will be like, if I am ever blessed to embrace it. I’m not too picky in my imaginings; I’ll take any sort by this point. Logically, I’d prefer a less painful exit, but, knowing my luck, it’ll be as ruthless as once reported and still widely believed.

        It ought to be noted I have some of the most wretched luck to ever be doled out, so there is that.

        The sound of waves crashing against the shore sends my eyes to the horizon. I’ve tried to drown myself in those waters more times than I ought to admit over the years, but the sea always spits me back out. I’ve also tried overdosing on pharmaceuticals, stabbing myself in the chest and eyes (which was just as painful as you’d imagine), and throwing myself off a cliff. Melodramatic, yes, and all ineffective for an immortal cursed with impenetrable skin and a digestive system apparently filled with acid.

        Death is not my friend. At least, not yet.   

About Heather Lyons:

Heather Lyons has always had a thing for words—She’s been writing stories since she was a kid. In addition to writing, she’s also been an archaeologist and a teacher. Heather is a rabid music fan, as evidenced by her (mostly) music-centric blog, and she’s married to an even larger music snob. They’re happily raising three kids who are mini music fiends who love to read and be read to.

Links:

Website: http://www.heatherlyons.net

Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/heatherlyons

THE DEEP END OF THE SEA Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18844839-the-deep-end-of-the-sea?ac=1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hymheather

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heatherlyonsbooks?fref=ts 

Title: Now That You're Here
Author: Amy K. Nichols
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 304 Pages (December 9th 2014)
Add to: Goodreads
No purchase links at the time of posting

Synopsis: Danny and Eevee are meant to be together . . . Just not in this universe.

Eevee Solomon has high school down to a science. Get the grades. Get the recommendations. Get into an Ivy League college, and eventually land a killer job at NASA.

Then Danny Ogden enters the equation.

Danny is a street-smart graffiti artist. He’s always managed to stay out of serious trouble, but this time he’s out of luck. One minute he’s running from the cops, and the next, he jolts awake in an unfamiliar body–his own, but different. Somehow, he’s crossed into a parallel universe. Now his friends are his enemies, his parents are long dead, and coolheaded Eevee is not the brazen girl he once kissed back home. Then again, this Eevee may be his only hope of getting home.

Eevee tells herself she’s only helping him in the name of quantum physics, but there’s something undeniably fascinating about this boy from another dimension . . . a boy who makes her question who she is, and who she might be in another place and time.

About the Author: 

Amy has been crafting stories for as long as she can remember. She earned a Master's in literature and worked for years as a web designer, though, before realizing what she really wanted to be was an author. Her first novel, YA sci-fi thriller Now That You're Here, will be published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on December 9, 2014. The follow-up, While You Were Gone, will be published in 2015. She is mentored by award-winning crime novelist James Sallis.

Amy is represented by Quinlan Lee of Adams Literary. She's an active member of SCBWI and SFWA, as well as a member of the Class of 2k14 debut authors.

Find Amy Online:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Class of 2k14

GIVEAWAY!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Title: Eversea (Eversea #1)
Author: Natasha Boyd
Publisher: 358 Pages (June 4th, 2013)
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
From: the Author
Format: eBook
Add to: Goodreads
Order a copy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: An orphaned, small-town, southern girl, held hostage by responsibility and self-doubt.

A Hollywood A-list mega-star, on the run from his latest scandal and with everything to lose.

A chance encounter that leads to an unlikely arrangement and epic love affair that will change them both forever.

When his co-star and real-life girlfriend is caught cheating on him with her new director, A-list hottie, Jack Eversea, finds himself in sleepy Butler Cove, South Carolina. Jack hopes the sultry southern heat in this tiny coastal Lowcountry town will hide him not only from the tabloids and his cheating

girlfriend, but his increasingly vapid life and the people who run it. He doesn’t count on meeting Keri Ann Butler.

Keri Ann has relied on herself so long, dealing with her family’s death and the responsibilities of keeping up her family's historic mansion, that boys and certainly the meager offering of eligible boys in Butler Cove, have never figured into her equation. But fate has other plans. Suddenly face to face with the man who played the movie role of her favorite fictional character, Jack has Keri Ann yearning for everything she has previously avoided ... and Jack must decide whether this funny, sassy girl is worth changing his life for, before his mistakes catch up to him.

Review: 4 Stars - Eversea by Natasha Boyd is the first half in the journey of two characters whose lives are about to be tested, questioned and turned on their heads with a chance meeting between a confused and heart crushed Hollywood Mega-star and a small town girl who’s stuck running in place.

I’m not sure why it took me until now to read this book (and its follow-up) but I’m kicking myself because now I can see why so many other readers fell in love with this title and these two characters. From the beginning I was entertained by Boyd’s story which flowed easily right through to the end. I wasn’t sure what would happen next and there were plenty of emotions that were felt while reading. All these things make for a book that I didn’t want to end, one that I loved and I was eager to find out what would happen throughout this title on to the second book.

That’s something I could suggest to future readers… if you have the first book, make sure you have the second one handy because there are enough ups and downs and so many emotional pieces throughout that you’ll want to jump right into the second book once you finish Eversea.

One of the major parts that I loved about this one is the impact these two characters have on each other’s lives. Both Keri Ann and Jack thought they were on such a set path that the impact they have on each other is extremely life alerting. Boyd shows that these two are human, make mistakes and choices that don’t always work out how they wish and that they are strong despite themselves when things and times get rough.

The romance is both sweet and steamy. There might have been an instant attraction between these two but it’s nothing too rushed. At least for this reader it didn’t feel like it was in the blink of an eye… Boyd gave them a chance to get to know each other before pushing their relationship further.

I could feel the emotional turmoil that Keri Ann AND Jack were feeling. They both come from such different lives yet it takes the other to see the possibility for something different from what they know.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there’s something about watching a characters growth when it’s portrayed so well on a page that gives the story a whole new edge to it. Character growth is always a major plus for me and with these two Boyd has taken this reader on one heck of a ride!

More on the characters – while they are both so different, they are dealing with some of the same issues and some that are very different. Their lives are consuming them, making it easy to stay stuck right where they are. My heart broke for Jack a few times and then it broke for Keri Ann because she was just left hanging by events neither could control. Jack might not have handled things right all the time, but that’s the part of a character that I also love, their flaws showing that no one’s perfect.

I commend Boyd and her ability to create realistic characters and the emotion that came with them. I was more than invested in these two and their lives and wanted to know what was going to happen next with the turn of each page. In the end I didn’t want their story to end!

For fans of Contemporary romance this book should be on your must read list. I know I’m kicking myself for waiting so long to read this one but extremely happy to have found so much that I enjoyed with the book and these characters. Enjoy!

About the Author: 

Natasha Boyd is a writer with a background in marketing and public relations. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and lives in the coastal Carolina Lowcountry, complete with Spanish moss, alligators and mosquitoes the size of tiny birds.  She has a husband, two sons and a host of scared relatives that worry the next book will be about them.  She is a member of Georgia Romance Writers, Romance Writers of America and Island Writers Network, where she has been a featured speaker. Forever, Jack is the sequel to her award-winning and first full-length novel, Eversea.

Find Natasha Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumblr | Instagram: @lovefrmlowcntry

GIVEAWAY!!!

--4 Kindles (Open wherever Amazon ships)
--2x signer copies of both book 1 & 2 + sea turtle pendant (Open INTL)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today I'm excited to share an excerpt from Elizabeth Lee's TAKING SOMETHING! TAKING SOMETHING is the second book in Elizabeth Lee’s Give Me Something Series and is set to be released February 18, 2014! To celebrate GIVE ME SOMETHING is on sale for only $.99!! Check out the excerpt and a special thank you bonus for readers from Elizabeth!!!

 About TAKING SOMETHING: I know what you're thinking. “You were such a jerk, Nick!” Believe me, I know I screwed up the best thing I had going in my life, but that was kind of my thing. I’d learned how to run cons before I could even form complete sentences, and I'd always been selfish. But I changed. Lila forgave me, my brother and I were getting along, and I was trying to make a name for myself in the music world.

At least that was what I was trying to do when I negotiated my way into the recording studio with pop superstar Sadie Sinclair. I thought it would be a piece of cake—charm my way into her heart and into her record label's good graces.

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I got mixed up in a web of lies, manipulation, and deception. A web that had me questioning my motives and desires altogether.

Was the fame and fortune really worth the price?

Excerpt:

“How about you pour me a cup of coffee, sweat pea?” I finally spoke, breaking the trace her graceful hands had on me and pointing at steaming coffee press in between us. She sighed and placed the knife she was holding down on the counter. With her empty hands firmly placed down on the marble, she looked up at me.

“Look, sweat pea,” she lipped. “I've got enough people to wait on and one of them actually pays me for it. If you want a cup of coffee, I suggest you get up off your self-entitled ass and pour one.”

My feet were on the floor and leading me around the counter to the cabinets before I had a chance to realize what I was doing. It must have been the look in her eyes or maybe I just felt like not being a jerk. I needed to be on her good side before I asked her the question I'd been thinking about all night.

“Mugs are in the one next to the fridge,” she told me, picking up her knife to continue her job.

“Thanks,” I replied, grateful that her civility was quick to return, and grabbed mug. I moved over next to her. The sweet smell of the fruit coupled with the scent of her shampoo, or soap, or maybe it was just her, had my mouth watering. Then she looked over and smiled at me, watching as I poured the coffee. Barely any make-up and her chocolate hair flowing down to the middle of her back, un-styled. Not my normal type, but something about her had me swallowing hard. And apparently daydreaming, because as I was watching her I decided I was going to fill my hand with scalding hot coffee instead of the mug it was holding. “Son of bitch,” I seethed.

Gia reacted quickly, pulling a washcloth from the drawer and soaking it with cool water. She was at my side quickly placing it on my stinging hand.

“Let me see,” she said sweetly, her eyes full of concern. She pulled back the rag and pulled my hand up. “I don't think it's going to blister.”

God, she's beautiful. The look of concern on her face. The feel of her hand in mine. I had to remind myself to take a breath. I wanted more than anything to reach out and touch her face. Her warm, caring, concerned face.

“Thank you,” I said, pulling the rag from her hand and placing it back on the burn. She released her hand from mine and I took a step back. There had only been one other person who looked at me the way Gia was and we all know how that ended. I couldn't let myself get wrapped up in the idea that another person could actually care about me. And I sure as hell didn't deserve her compassion. I had been a total dick to her.

“That's beautiful,” she said, reaching over and trailing her fingers across the moon tattoo on my right forearm. I wanted her to run her fingers over my skin again. All of it.

A special thank you from Elizabeth:

To celebrate the release Elizabeth is giving away an advanced copy of TAKING SOMETHING! You can enter the Goodreads giveaway here: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/79978-taking-something

Elizabeth is also setting up something very special for readers! You GIVE Nick a shot and add TAKING SOMETHING to your Goodreads TBR and in return you can TAKE home GIVE ME SOMETHING for FREE!!! That’s right…FREE! Once TAKING SOMETHING hits 1,000 Want To Reads on Goodreads, Elizabeth will drop the price completely on all digital formats of GIVE ME SOMETHING and give you a chance to see where it all started and get ready for the February 18^th release of TAKING SOMETHING!

Elizabeth Lee Bio:

When I'm not writing or playing the part of wife and mother, you can find me dancing back-up for Beyonce, singing back-up for Miranda, or sunning myself on the beach with a drink in hand. Here's the thing about being born and raised in a small town—you have a very vivid imagination! Now, I channel it all to create stories where the girl always ends up with the right guy, first kisses are magical, and a happy ending is just that!

Buy Links for GIVE ME SOMETHING:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Links:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/elizabethleewrites
Twitter: www.twitter.com/elwrites
Website: http://elizabethleewrites.blogspot.com
Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6542627.Elizabeth_Lee
Novel Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18463336-taking-something

Today is the big cover reveal for the SEX ON THE BEACH series! This series includes the novellas BEFORE YOU by Jenna Bennett, BETWEEN US by Jen McLaughlin, and BEYOND ME by Jennifer Probst. 

the SEX ON THE BEACH series

coming MARCH 4th 

NOTE FROM THE AUTHORS:

Dear Reader,

Prepare yourself for Sex on the Beach, a trilogy featuring BETWEEN US (Jen McLaughlin), BEYOND ME (Jennifer Probst), and BEFORE YOU (Jenna Bennett). Three separate novellas. Three different authors. One literary world. Read them all, or just read one. It's up to you! No matter which route you choose, these standalone novellas are sure to satisfy your need for sizzling romance and an emotion packed story.

Happy Reading!

Jen, Jenna, and Jennifer 

BEFORE YOU by Jenna Bennett
BOOK SUMMARY:

It’s all fun and games

I had a simple plan for spring break.

Sun, sand, and a hot guy. Sex on the beach, with no strings attached.

A chance to get rid of this pesky virginity once and for all.

And when I met Tyler McKenna, I thought I had it made.

Until someone gets hurt

But then girls started turning up at Key West landmarks. Girls who looked like me, but with one crucial difference: They’d all been drugged and relieved of their virginity.

The virginity I still have. The virginity Ty refuses to take.

And now I’ve begun to wonder whether there isn’t more to him than meets the eye.

Suddenly, sex on the beach doesn’t sound so good anymore...

BETWEEN US by Jen McLaughlin

BOOK SUMMARY:

I’m just a girl…
I’m a famous country star who’s spent her life cultivating a good girl persona to avoid bad press, but I’ve reached my limit. I’m going away for spring break with my two best friends from college, and we’ve vowed to spend the vacation seeking out fun in the sun—along with some hot, no-strings-attached sex. The only thing I needed was the perfect guy, and then I met Austin Murphy. He might be totally wrong for me, but the tattooed bad boy is hard to resist. When I’m in his arms, everything just feels right.

And I’m just a guy…
I’m just a bartender who lives in Key West, stuck in an endless cycle of boredom. But then Mackenzie Forbes, America’s Sweetheart herself, comes up to me and looks at me with those bright green eyes…and everything changes. She acts like she’s just a normal girl and I’m just a normal guy, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. My past isn’t pretty, you know. I did what I had to do to survive, and she’d run if she learned the truth about my darkness. But with her, I’m finally realizing what it’s like to be alive. To laugh, live, and be happy.

All good things must come to an end...

BEYOND ME by Jennifer Probst
BOOK SUMMARY:

CAN FUN IN THE SUN TURN INTO LASTING LOVE?
Spring break in Key West with my besties was supposed to be casual fun. But I never expected to meet James Hunt. Sex and frolic? Yes! A relationship? No. But his hot blue eyes and confident manner drew me in. And when he let me see the man behind the mask, I fell hard, foolishly believing there could be a future for us. Of course I never considered our relationship might be based on lies...or that his betrayal could rock my foundation and make me question everything I believed in...   

OR WILL A LIFE BUILT ON LIES RUIN EVERYTHING?
The moment I saw Quinn I knew I had to have her. She hooked me with her cool eyes and don’t touch me attitude. I had it all, money, social status, and looks. I could get any girl I wanted...until her. When my friends challenged me with a bet to get her into bed by the end of the week, I couldn’t pass it up. But sex wasn’t supposed to turn into love. She wasn’t supposed to change me, push me, and make me want more for myself. She wasn’t supposed to wreck me in all ways. And now, if I can’t turn my lies into truth, I just might lose her forever...

-------------------------------------------

a Rafflecopter giveaway
GOODREADS CONTEST

For each book that gets to 500 adds, 5 pages of that novella will be released! 10 pages will be released after 600 adds, 15 pages after 800 adds, and 20 pages after 1000 adds! So, spread the word and be sure to add each book to your goodreads list.

LINKS: 

BEFORE YOU - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20371409-before-you
BETWEEN US - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20369409-between-us
BEYOND ME - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20371567-beyond-me

Time for some teasers!

FOLLOW THE AUTHORS

Website:  www.jennabennett.com
Facebook Fan Page:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jenna-Bennett-Jennie-Bentley/192400104127600
Twitter:   https://twitter.com/Bennett_Jenna
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1549070.Jenna_Bennett

Website: http://dianealberts.com/
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/DianeAlberts6
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DianeAlberts
Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6921962.Jen_McLaughlin

Website:  www.jenniferprobst.com
Facebook Fan Page:  https://www.facebook.com/jenniferprobst.authorpage
Twitter:   https://twitter.com/jenniferprobst
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20371567-beyond-me

Title: Silver Heart
Author: Victoria Green
Publisher: (July 25th 2013)
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
From: the Author
Format: eBook
Add to: Goodreads
Order a copy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK

Synopsis: There comes a moment in everyone's life when they must decide which road leads to personal happiness. For Dylan Silver, this is that moment...

For the past twenty-two-years, Dylan has been living in her parents' carefully crafted world, always putting her own dreams on hold to play the role of a dutiful daughter.
So when her best friend coaxes her into a winter getaway to a mountain cabin, she sees it as a chance to forget about the responsibilities waiting for her at home. At least for a little while.

But then her past catches up to her--in the form of sexy snowboarder, Sawyer Carter.

Six years ago, Dylan bid goodbye to the only boy she ever truly loved. Now he's standing right in front of her, bringing up bittersweet memories and igniting suppressed desires as he dares her to be the person she has always wanted to be.

Dylan and Sawyer's unexpected meeting is a second chance, but will a girl who doesn't believe in fate and taking risks be able to overcome her fears of losing control and finally embrace the life she desperately wants?

Only one thing is certain: after a week in Whistler, Dylan's world will never be the same.

Review: 3 Stars - Silver Heart by Victoria Green is a second chance story for two best friends. Both were lost to each other but never far from each other’s minds and hearts never to be forgotten.

Dylan and Sawyer grew up together. Dylan’s life was carefully constructed and laid out for her by her parents from a very young age. Sawyer was her older brother’s best friend who was trying to survive in a house filled of anger, pain and confusion. The two found something in each other, a best friend and understanding when they each thought there was no one else in the world who could or would “get” who they were.

When Sawyer walked out of her life to make something better for himself he never imagined what it would be like to have her walk back into his world six years later. Neither did Dylan ever truly believe she’d find Sawyer in her life again, making her feel that spark of life after leaving her heartbroken.

While the story is a quick, easy and for the most part a light read and yeah, it was entertaining, there wasn’t anything too spectacular that happened that made me love this one. It was good, I did like it but it was just a nice read. It’s memorable because these two have history and you wonder how they used to be, who they are now and what’s changed for these two in six years. The setting of Whistler, Canada was great… especially for this time of year, the snow and snowboarding was perfect for the story yet there just wasn’t anything that had me jumping up and down or had my heart pounding out of my chest screaming out at me that I couldn’t get enough. I liked the characters. Sawyer was a highlight… I mean who doesn’t like a hot snowboarding guy who knows how to treat a girl? And I did like how Dylan had to face some tough choices along the way. I guess I was just hoping for more.

Probably the one part about the story that I loved the most was the connection that these two characters had from beginning to end. They had a past, a missing six years they had to work to figure out and then the current that they had to try to navigate with feelings that they were finally admitting to and then a future that was full of what if’s.

As a reader you find who you want to root for in the story and for me these two were easy to want to have their own happily ever after and in more than just their romantic relationship too. You wanted Dylan to figure out what she was passionate about for her future and to be happy and you wanted Sawyer to win gold in snowboarding at the Olympics.

Another great part of the story was the secondary characters. Dylan’s brother who did stir up some stronger emotions later in the story. I really did want to kick the guy in the shins for a few things he’d done to Dylan in the past. And Dylan’s best friend Maddie was great in not only being there for her and causing her to question her choices and her life further. She was a great support to the lead female in this story and I found myself rooting for Dylan right along with both Maddie and Sawyer.

In the end it was good. It was solid. It was second chance love and it did in fact keep me… as mentioned above entertained. There are a few funny moments and lots of light hearted pieces to the story that I did help me enjoy this title. If you are a fan of great characters, second chance love in a contemporary that I do in fact recommend this title. I’m sure others will find things they enjoy about the story just as I did and will be rooting for these two characters just as I was. Enjoy!

About the Author:

Victoria Green is a New Adult author who enjoys writing about unspoken love and second chances. She’s a travel junkie and a huge photography enthusiast. Her experience growing up in a war-torn country has helped teach her the importance of living life to the fullest and appreciating every single day. She believes in true love, good chocolate, and great books. She lives in Canada with her high school sweetheart (though he’s graduated to a fiancé now) and their pack of puppies, and also writes Young Adult novels under a different name.

Find Victoria Online:

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Today I'm excited to share in the Release Day Launch and giveaway for Cora Carmack's SEEKING HER!! SEEKING HER is a novella in Cora’s bestselling Finding It Series, published by William Morrow (an imprint of HarperCollins)! Go out and grab your copy today! 

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

About SEEKING HER (Losing it, #3.5): Jackson Hunt gets his turn in this Finding It prequel novella …

Jackson Hunt hasn't been out of the military for long, but he needs to get a job and find a sense of normalcy if he is going to keep his demons at bay. The job that falls into his lap, though, is anything but normal.

Becoming bodyguard (and babysitter) to spoiled rich girl Kelsey Summers isn't exactly what he had in mind, but it's a chance to travel, to get away. The catch: Kelsey's father doesn't want her to know she's being followed.

She's vibrant and infuriating, exciting and reckless, mysterious and familiar. When Jackson sees her falling into the same patterns he suffered years ago, he decides it's time to stop watching and help her instead. But getting to know Kelsey is more difficult than he thought, especially because the more he knows her, the more he wants her.

Excerpt:

I was going to have to find some way to cope with this. If not, I was better off calling Mr. Summers and suggesting he find someone else to take over his daughter-watch.

I felt a pang of something at that thought. It was a general kind of discomfort, and I wasn’t sure whether it was the thought of returning home or something else that made that thought so unappealing.

After the cooling walk earlier, and now standing under the cool, calming rush of water, it was easier to think that I could control myself, but I knew better. It always seemed easier in my head than it really was.

I wiped the water from my eyes, and tried to think of some other way to deal. There was always the hope that Kelsey would get bored. That she would mellow out. If she only partied a couple nights a week, I should be able to resist. But that seemed unlikely.

All that restless energy; the way she’d soaked up the attention from the people around her. I couldn’t see her giving that up. And it was working for her. She was still in the phase where partying made her feel good. That was the one thing that helped me stay clean. The few times I’d slipped up since I started the program had left me miserable and angry, and even more frustrated than when I started. I’d found new ways to chase the high. And maybe that wasn’t any healthier, not when one way involved being in the midst of flying bullets.

It wasn’t the same kind of rush, but it did the trick. I pictured Kelsey again, laughing with her head thrown back, her shirt falling off her shoulder and displaying the gentle curve of her neck. It reminded me of the way she’d tossed her head back that first day out in the woods.

The memory of that caused a different kind of rush in me, and I groaned, pressing my forehead into the tile. Before I could help myself, I pictured her long legs straddling that guy in the gardens. The bright green material of her bra, and the way it conformed to her perfect chest. She leaned back, her fingertips trailing from the bark of the tree to his shoulders.

In an instant, the memory shifted into fantasy, and those were my shoulders she clung to, not his.

That was my undoing. There was only so much resisting I could do in one night.

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About Cora Carmack:

Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.

Find Cora Online:

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Title: Song of the Fireflies
Author: J.A. Redmerski
Publisher: Forever, 464 Pages (February 4th, 2014)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author J.A. Redmerski brings us a stunning and heart-wrenching new novel about a couple who find each other in their darkest moment. 

Since they were kids, Elias Kline and Brayelle Bates have been inseparable. When Bray moves to South Carolina, separating the two for the first time, they both at last realize that their innocent childhood friendship has developed into something much more. So when Bray finally returns to Georgia—and to Elias—things between them couldn’t be more perfect…until one fateful night changes everything.

Desperate not to go to prison for a terrible accident, Elias and Bray decide to run. As they try to make the most of their freedom, the two find themselves relying on a rebellious group of people who tempt the duo into a wild and daring new life. But they can’t run from their troubles forever.

As the consequences of their past catch up to them, the couple must finally face reality. Even if they can make it through the unimaginable, Elias knows the truth about Bray’s painful history, and in the end he may not be able to save Bray from herself…

New Adult Contemporary Romance - Standalone Novel

Excerpt:

Thunder rumbled in the sky and the thick, dark clouds lit up in the distance, revealing what the tops of the trees looked like painted against the black backdrop that had shrouded them. The crawling branches that reached upward along the infinite dark looked ominous as the flash of light faded.

I felt a drop of rain. And then another.

“So much for a quiet walk together,” Bray said.

And just then, the sky opened up and it began to pour. Bray shrieked and tried to cover herself unsuccessfully with her arms and then the screaming turned into laughter. We were both drenched in under five seconds. The rain pounded down so fast and so hard that we had to shout over the noise to hear each other; each drop like a million nails being thrust into the dirt on the baseball field.

“It’s a long walk back!” I said.

Bray started spinning like a ballerina in the middle of the field. She laughed and raised her arms above her and turned her face upward toward the sky and just let the rain wash over her. She opened her mouth and spun around and around. I watched her for a moment, mesmerized by her innocence. I saw that little girl I met so long ago, running with me through that pasture without a worry in the world. Just seeing her like that, it made me smile, but deep down it also crushed me. I knew that she would never be that innocent again, that our life together would never be as carefree as it was when we were children.

“Dance with me!” she shouted.

“What?”

“Dance with me!”

I had heard her right the first time. I just didn’t understand why here, why now.

“There’s no music!” I said over the rain.

She grabbed my hand. “You don’t hear that?!” she said, motioning to the patter of rain and thunder around us.

She started spinning around me and I stood in the same spot following her until she grabbed both of my hands and pulled on them. Next thing I knew, we were spinning together, holding each other’s hands tightly and distributing equal weight on our arms. At first, I felt like an idiot and hoped Tate wasn’t spying, or worse, Caleb. But I was quickly lost in Bray’s laughter and her smile and her beautiful blue eyes. The thunder got louder, the lightning more intense. I was beginning to worry about us being out in the open like this, in the center of a baseball field just asking to be struck down by the finger of God. But soon, I didn’t care. We were those two innocent children again, living free and loving life. And not even lightning could ruin this moment. It wouldn’t dare.

We stopped spinning, and I twirled her around by her hands as I stood in place, and then I dipped her. Leaning over her body, I pressed my wet lips between her breasts as her white shirt was weighted down by the endless rain.

About the Author: 

J.A. Redmerski, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author lives in North Little Rock, Arkansas with her three children, two cats and a Maltese. She is a lover of television and books that push boundaries and is a huge fan of AMC's The Walking Dead.

Find J.A. Online:

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