Title: Getting Dirty (Jail Bait #1)
Author: Mia Storm
Publisher: (March 29th, 2015)
Add to: Goodreads
No order links at the time of posting

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

Synopsis: Dirty
A poem by Blaire Leon

If sex is dirty, why would I do it with someone I love?
If sex is dirty, then didn’t we all come from the dirt?
What if I like the dirt?
What if I want to get dirty?
What if I want to roll in the mud until I’m so fucking filthy that I’ll never be clean again?

When twenty-five-year-old graduate assistant Caiden Brenner asked Blaire Leon how old she was, she said she was a senior. He chose to believe she meant in college. They connect over Lord Byron’s Don Juan and, as their conversations become increasingly thicker with sexual innuendo, Caiden finds himself obsessing over a totally off-limits undergrad who’s bold, beautiful, brilliant, and one of the most passionate poets he’s ever met.

But it turns out Blaire hasn't been totally honest. She's the seventeen-year-old valedictorian of her high school class, taking courses at Sierra State while awaiting her acceptance to Stanford.

Will Caiden get too deeply into Blaire to back away before he finds out the truth? Or will their connection be enough to seduce him into risking his entire future on Jail Bait?

I freaking can't WAIT for this book!!!

Excerpt:

“What year are you?” I don’t even realize I’ve said it until it’s out of my mouth.
Her eyes flick from the book to mine. “A senior.”
I feel my eyebrows arch before I can stop them. “You look younger.”
She bites her lips between her teeth for a moment. “Is that good or bad?”
“Neither, I suppose.” But my insides burn, knowing that she’s not as off-limits as I originally thought. It’s nearing the end of January. Commencement will be here soon enough. She graduates and all bets are off.
“So…” she says, twisting a finger into the ends of her hair. “I know you like old, dead poets. How do you feel about hearing something fresher?”
I lean toward her. “Such as?”
“I’m reading in a poetry slam tonight. It’s just something over at Tino’s in Jonestown on the fourth Friday of every month. There’s no prize money or anything, but I perform something new pretty much every month.”
“A poetry slam…” I want to say yes in the worst way, but it feels dangerously like a date.
She must read the hesitation in my eyes. “If it’s too weird, no worries. I just thought, since you like poetry…”
She leaves the thought dangling. Like a noose. And I jump right into it. “Yeah. Why not?”
The answer to that rhetorical question is that it’s not May yet and she hasn’t graduated. I’m risking everything I’ve worked the last three years toward. My entire future. But the voice of reason is being drowned out by the raging waves of something rolling up from the deepest layers of my being like an undertow. Something base and essential. And unrelenting.
“Do you want to meet me there?” she asks, standing from her seat and giving me a better view of the entire exquisite length of her.
“Yeah…that’s probably best.” Plausible deniability. No, Dr. Duncan, I didn’t have any clue she’d be there. Just went to hear the poetry.
“Great,” she says as she gathers her book and shoves it in her bag. “It starts at nine. There are usually five or six poets and it’s a random draw, so I don’t know what time I’ll be reading.”
I nod without standing, no longer able to tame my erection. “I’ll be there at nine.”
“You know where Tino’s is?”
Electricity crackles under my skin. I’m really doing this. “Yeah. I’ll find it.”

About the Author:

Mia Storm is a hopeless romantic who is always searching for her happy ending. Sometimes she’s forced to make one up. When that happens, she’s thrilled to be able to share those stories with her readers. She lives in California and spends much of her time in the sun with a book in one hand and a mug of black coffee in the other, or hiking the trails in Yosemite. Connect with her online at MiaStormAuthor.blogspot.com, on Twitter at @MiaStormAuthor, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MiaStormAuthor.

Title: Heartsick
Author: Caitlin Sinead
Publisher: Carina Press, 166 Pages (February 16th, 2015)
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Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK

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

Synopsis: Quinn is looking forward to her senior year at Poe University. She has big plans to hang out with her best friend, flirt with a certain boy genius, party at her favorite dive bar and figure out what she’s going to do after graduation with her not-so-useful art major. But that’s before she meets Luke, a hot townie who’s moved back home to help take care of his dying sister. And it’s before a weird epidemic sweeps across campus, mysteriously turning people’s eyes purple.

Is it an odd side effect from a new party drug?
Is it a rogue virus developed in a campus lab?
Is it the mark of the devil?

Soon the town starts blaming the university and the student religious group becomes frighteningly aggressive in their on-campus accusations. Quinn and Luke are caught in the middle—until a tragic accident forces Luke to reveal the one part of himself he’s kept carefully hidden. That he’s so much more than the happy-go-lucky boy next door Quinn had believed him to be isn’t a surprise…but this truth might be too dangerous for her to handle.

Excerpt:

She gets our drinks before he comes back and once he does, I pick up my wine. “Thanks for the drink.”

He clinks with me and takes a sip. “I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.” There’s something sad in his voice that makes me want to find an emotional salve, which I imagine would probably be some kind of chocolate peanut butter concoction.

“It’s nothing personal, it’s just—” I start.

“No, I get it.” His hand flip-flops a coaster between his thumbs and fingers as he stares into the line of bottles of whiskey and whatnot. “I’m Luke, by the way.” He reaches his other hand out, like we’re business partners. I go with it.

“I’m Quinn.”
Those hands. They’re the kind of rough and wild hands that hold truths. And, like last night, I want more than the tactile glimpse the handshake gives me.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Quinn.” I love the way he says my name. With his southernaccent it sways more toward the Q, the n’s are uphill.

“So, where have you been?” I ask.

He tilts his head, sort of like a puppy would do if you hide a tennis ball behind your back.
“Ah, you mean...your whole life?”
I’m only semi-successful at stifling a girlish giggle as he watches me with playful eyes.

“No, I mean, Sally said you’re back in town. From where?”
“So she told you all that?” he says.
All that? I’ll have to ask Sally about it later. He gulps down a significant amount of beer faster than you should outside of race-themed drinking games and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

“She just said you were back.” I mirror him and take a big swig of wine that should be savored. But this is getting awkward.


Praise for Heartsick -

“This unique read–containing a boatload of likable characters and a few spine-tingling chills–plays out like a mystery movie on the big screen. The author really keeps readers guessing with each flip of the page–and it gets more and more exciting all the way up to the last chapter, which has the potential to make jaws drop.” – RT Book Reviews

“HEARTSICK is destined to become a go-to example of great, speculative NA.” – Carrie Butler, author of the award-winning Mark of Nexus series

“A snappy, suspenseful plot balanced with stellar writing, brimming with chemistry and full of unique, nuanced characters. Quinn is the sort of strong, believable heroine I want to spend hundreds of pages with, and the mix of sci-fi-tinged mystery, small-town social tensions and a sweet-and-sexy love story kept me engaged until the end. Caitlin Sinead just made my auto-buy list.”–A.J. Larrieu, author of Twisted Miracles

About the Author:

Caitlin Sinead is represented by Andrea Somberg at Harvey Klinger, Inc. and her debut novel, Heartsick, will be published by Carina Press in 2015. Her writing has earned accolades from Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Glimmer Train, and Writers & Artists, and her stories have appeared in multiple publications, including The Alarmist, The Binnacle, Crunchable, Jersey Devil Press, and Northern Virginia Magazine. She earned a master's degree in writing from Johns Hopkins University.

Find Caitlin Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Title: The Hidden Library (The Collectors' Society #2)
Author: Heather Lyons
Publisher: Cerulean Books (February 26th, 2015)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK

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

Synopsis: Sometimes, the rabbit hole is deeper than expected . . .

Alice Reeve and Finn Van Brunt have tumbled into a life of secrets. Some secrets they share, such as their employment by the clandestine organization known as The Collectors’ Society. Other secrets they carry within them, fighting to keep buried the things that could change everything they think they know.

On the hunt for an elusive villain who is hell-bent on destroying legacies, Alice, Finn, and the rest of the Society are desperate to unravel the mysteries surrounding them. But the farther they spiral down this rabbit hole, the deeper they fall into secrets that will test their loyalties and pit them against enemies both new and old.

Secrets, they come to find, can reveal the deadliest of truths.

Excerpt:

          We are about to open the conference room door and enter the hallway when he stops. He turns to me, his lovely eyes achingly sincere. “I want to take you on a date when all of this craziness is over. A real one. We’ve kind of gone about this all backwards, haven’t we?”

          One corner of my mouth lifts up. “Are you saying you’d like to court me?”

          There is no playfulness to his face, no quirk to his own lips. My heart flutters at his seriousness. “Yes.”

          He wants to court me.

          Too many emotions rush around in a caucus race throughout my body. I have no doubts of Huckleberry Finn Van Brunt’s feelings toward me. I understood them two minutes ago just as well as I did this morning when I woke up and from the night before and from the day in Wonderland where he said, in not so many words, that he was falling in love with me.

          I told him he was my north star, and meant it. He countered we are binaries.

          He and I . . . We’ve never said those words, though, not the ones that truly spell out fragile, deep secrets of a heart and soul. Words so easily and yet unfortunately uttered by many, be it to express their appreciation of fried bits of potatoes to sports teams on the television. Words offered so frivolously about a variety of subjects and yet can be the most difficult, most painful, most meaningful, most cherished syllables we gift another person.

          I have said these words before, to another man. Another man I still love. One I know, in the deepest confines of my heart, that I will love until the last breath escapes my body. A man who courted me in secret and then publicly in the face of astonishment, disapproval, confusion, and, in the end, prophesies.

          I have willingly given the man in front of me my heart, though, whether he knows it or not. He now holds it in his hands, and while I pray he is my future, there is still a part of me that bucks in conflicted confusion and delight by this declaration of his.

          He wants to court me.

          And yet, as sweet and romantic as such a gesture might be, I require no such formalities. My affections for Finn Van Brunt have already solidified into something real and wonderful and meaningful.

Don’t miss the first book in this series, THE COLLECTORS’ SOCIETY!

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks** Kobo

About the Author:

Heather Lyons writes epic, heartfelt love stories and has always had a thing for words. In addition to writing, she’s also been an archaeologist and a teacher. She and her husband and children live in sunny Southern California and are currently working their way through every cupcakery she can find.

Find Heather Online:

Website | Author Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest
          

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Title: The Haunting of Sunshine Girl: Book One
Author: Paige McKenzie
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books, 280 Pages (March 26th 2015)
From: ARC
Format: Paperback
Add to: Goodreads
Order a copy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: In that place where you're more asleep than awake any more, I hear something else. A phrase uttered in a child's voice, no more than a whisper: Night Night.

Something freaky's going on with Sunshine's new house . . . there's the chill that wraps itself around her bones, the giggling she can hear in the dead of night, and then the strange shadows that lurk in her photographs. But the more weird stuff that happens, the less her mum believes her. Sunshine's always had a quirky affiliation with the past, but this time, history is getting much too close for comfort . . .

If there is something, or someone, haunting her house, what do they want? And what will they do if Sunshine can't help them?

As things become more frightening and dangerous, and the giggles she hears turn to sobs and screams, Sunshine has no choice but to accept what she is, face the test before her and save her mother from a fate worse than death.

Review: 3.5-4 stars - As a self confessed wimp who avoids anything vaguely scary I was slightly apprehensive when I started reading The Haunting of Sunshine Girl. The reviews of other readers sounded good, so with the lights on and the doors locked (no ghosties are getting to me) I began reading.

Sunshine Griffith moves to Ridgemont, Washington when her mum Kat gets offered a new job. Sunshine immediately feels uneasy- used to the sunny warmth of Texas, the gloom of Ridgemont makes it eerie. “The world has been grey, shrouded in fog”. The description of the weather always adds to the atmosphere of a book. If the book had been set in Florida, Los Angeles or somewhere else sunny it just wouldn’t have worked.

On her first night living in their new house Sunshine is woken by the sound of footsteps upstairs and a weird dream of a little girl crying also unnerves her. When Sunshine goes to investigate there’s no noise, the house is silent. So Sunshine heads back to bed and just as she’s drifting off to sleep she hears a child’s whisper “Night Night.”. Her mum blames the noises on trees hitting the window, Sunshine suspects otherwise.

When Sunshine discovers things are being moved around her room, she decides to start taking photographs of the strange happenings.

Nolan Foster is the only friend that Sunshine has made at school. They share an art class together and he seems to be the only other person at the school who doesn’t follow the crowd. When she tells him about what is happening at her house, Nolan doesn’t run for the hills or think she’s weird. Thankfully for Sunshine, Nolan’s Grandfather had some knowledge of the supernatural. Using some of Nolan’s Grandfather’s books and research, the pair start to look into ghosts and spirits.

They discover things that will change Sunshine’s life forever.

There are some chapters dotted throughout the book that come from a mystery character who is watching Sunshine- only in the last quarter of the book do we find out who that may be. These chapters although short, had me both worried for Sunshine and intrigued as to what might happen next.

There were some moments in the book that really creeped me out. The bathroom scene; when Kat, Sunshine’s mum cuts her arm when cooking and the meal that follows; fog coming through the house and objects being wet without reason. I did start getting worried more than usual when hearing noises in our house and our central heating creaks a lot.

Overall I did enjoy this book, even if it did creep me out. The reason I gave this 3.5-4 stars and not 5, when I felt so many emotions about it, is that the build up the big reveal seemed to go on for a while. I understand that this was to build the suspense and keep you reading, but I prefer to have something to grasp in a storyline and although there was the underwritten possibility of the reveal the story. It didn’t fall into place until ¾ of the way through, which I know I felt might be a bit late in the story.

Some reader’s may not think it’s the scariest book in the world, but for me it was scary enough for YA.

I haven’t seen the YouTube channel that this book is based on and I don’t currently plan to watch it. However, news that The Haunting of Sunshine Girl film is in development, has me wanting to see it. Your imagination can run wild when reading a book and I know mine often does, I can’t wait to see what a special effects department would do with this book.

Title: Belong to Me (A Moore Crossing Novel)
Author: Laura Howard
Publisher: (March 31st 2015)
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Amazon UK

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

Synopsis: Kate and Noah thought they had the kind of love that could last through anything. Until their world crumbles out from beneath them.

After months of separation, the tragic death of Jack, Kate’s twin and Noah’s best friend, throws them back together. As they try to heal from the horrific loss, will they be able to overcome old wounds or are they destined to live separately forever?

About the Author: Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.

Find Laura Online:

Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook

Title: Under the Influence
Author: L.B. Simmons
Publisher: (May 2015)
Add to: Goodreads
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: Dalton,
I loved you once. A love I thought irrevocable. A love I mistakenly believed could transcend both time and circumstance. Under the influence of my dimwitted, naïve, traitorous heart, I became intoxicated with what I now know was simply a figment of my self-indulgent imagination. So drunk on the feeling, I couldn’t see what was right in front of my face. So foolishly enamored, I blindly followed my heart into the depths of an emotion that would ravage me.
Years later, I know now what I wish I knew then. I am stronger. Smarter. Tougher. I will not allow myself to be broken again.
I loved you.
I raged for you.
I wept for you.
And now, I’m letting you go.

Author’s Note:

Under the Influence is the journey of two childhood friends that spans the course of five pivotal years in their lives. It is a story about their discovery of true friendship as it blossoms into first love, their experience of crucial sacrifice and ultimate betrayal, and their endurance of agonizing heartbreak on the way to finding lasting redemption.

Make sure to sign-up HERE for L. B Simmons newsletter for exclusive sneak peaks into - Under the Influence and a first look at Chapter 1.

Don't miss out on purchasing The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller!!! It's only $.99 for a limited time so grab it while you can for the low, low, LOW price!

Order Online: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

About the Author:

L.B. Simmons is a graduate of Texas A&M University and holds a degree in Biomedical Science.  She has been a practicing Chemist for the last 11 years.  She lives with her husband and three daughters in Texas and writes every chance she gets.

Find L.B. Online:

FACEBOOK   TWITTER  TSU   WEBSITE   GOODREADS   AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

"Waiting On" Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The purpose of this weekly event is to spotlight a soon-to-be-released book that you are very much anticipating. "Waiting On" Wednesday will also give bloggers an opportunity to share ideas for our TBR lists.

Title: Saint Anything
Author: Sarah Dessen
Publisher: Viking Juvenile, 448 Pages (May 5th, 2015)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and—lately—concern. When Peyton's increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. When everyone else is so worried about Peyton, is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident?

Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlor, play bluegrass on weekends, and pitch in to care for their mother, who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance. And here she meets Mac, gentle, watchful, and protective, who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time.

The uber-popular Sarah Dessen explores her signature themes of family, self-discovery, and change in her twelfth novel, sure to delight her legions of fans.

Title: Dating Down
Author: Stefanie Lyons
Publisher: Flux, 336 Pages (April 8th, 2015)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: When a good girl falls for a bad boy

She thought she loved him. She thought she could change him. She thought if she just believed in him enough, his cheating and his drugs and his lying would stop, and she'd be his and he'd be hers and they'd love each other forever.

But for Samantha Henderson, X-the boy she will not name-is trouble. He's older, edgier, bohemian . . . and when he starts paying attention to Sam, she can't resist him. Samantha's family and friends try to warn her, but still she stays with him, risking her future and everything that really matters.

As moody and vivid as it is captivating, Dating Down is told in scenes and bursts of poetry that create a story filled with hurt, healing, and hope.

*covers are always subject to change.

Title: Stupid Boy (Stupid in Love #2)
Author: Cindy Miles
Publisher: TKA Distribution, 332 Pages (February 17th, 2015)
Add to: Goodreads
Order a copy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Check out my review of: Stupid Girl (Stupid in Love #1) & Stupid Boy (Stupid in Love #2)

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

Synopsis: From Cindy Miles, bestselling new adult author of STUPID GIRL, comes the next installment of her blockbuster Stupid in Love series – STUPID BOY.

Brax Jenkins and Olivia Beaumont are the most envied couple at Winston University—but the so-called “virginity dare,” orchestrated by Brax’s old fraternity, almost tore them apart. Now, a new dare is taking shape, and it’s sure to set emotions ablaze--more than ever before.

Winston’s “It Girl” Harper Belle isn’t just president of the Deltas--she’s also a master at keeping her ugly past a secret. So, when the Kappas’ dare hits closer to home for her more than anyone realizes, she devises a competition of her own as payback. Three sorority sisters will seek out a notorious womanizer on campus and--unbeknownst their “mark”--secretly train him to be the perfect boyfriend. Always up for a challenge, Harper targets the biggest player she can find: Brax’s wickedly handsome foster brother Kane McCarthy.

But, Harper discovers there’s much more to Kane than girls, games, and partying. His easy smile belies the quiet, old soul reflected in his deep brown eyes. All it takes is one night, one secret laid bare, and one kiss from Kane to shift Harper’s world on its axis. Suddenly, the girl who’s always walked a straight and narrow path can’t think of anything else except losing control.

Guest Post

What’s Your Reading/Writing Nook Say About YOU?

As a reader, I, like most other readers, have various favorite places to kick back and devour a book. Depending on the kind of day it is (rainy is my favorite), it can be anywhere from my sofa, with a few candles lit, or my bed, if it’s at nighttime. As long as it’s quiet, cozy, I can get lost in a book.

As a writer, though, I’m a little more picky. I have a favorite writing “nook”, I guess you’d call it. It’s my front porch. Which, when you look at it, it doesn’t seem all that glam. It’s really not. My imagination halts at storytelling. My decorative skills are ZERO. I have a double rocker. In summer, I have a few Boston ferns. That’s it. A plain old double rocker that I have to put a seat cushion on or else my booty gets tired faster than my brain. But it’s all good. Because the inspirational part? The part that makes THIS my ultimate writing nook? Check out the view.

To me, since I work out of my home, it’s perfect. (Although a little croft in the Highlands of Scotland, or a cottage in the Outer Banks, or an old 1900’s seaside Maine mansion from the Gold Coast, or even a cottage on one of Georgia’s small barrier islands would be great, too!) But I work at home. And I live here, in south Georgia. And this is my view.

One would think I’d get tired of it, but I don’t. It’s constantly changing. From summer storms and green, green grass to a field of white fluffy cotton or tall stalks of corn, to my duel pear trees changing with the seasons—it always fascinates and inspires me. I’ve one memory in particular that always gets me going. My son was about ten, my daughter six. Corn was planted in the field in my VIEW and was probably about five feet tall. It was summertime, and we’d been getting a lot of late afternoon showers. It began to rain and my two kids ran out into the corn field, and were popping up, then ducking down, running and hiding and trying to catch one another. I know from where they were it looked completely different than my position on the PORCH. It was hilarious. It looked like a live game of WACK-A-MOLE. They finally came in (no worries folks, it was only a shower-no lightning involved!) soaked to the bone and laughing like hyenas. Every once in a while we bring it up and we all laugh. Sometimes I think of that day as I’m sitting on the porch writing, and it always makes me smile. Or laugh out loud. And that sort of joy inspires my writing.

The VIEW itself? Now that can inspire many aspects of a story for me. I love stormy scenes, or rainy scenes, because I love storms and rain myself. As you can see from the pics, a storm can roll in from the coast and be quite dramatic. I love to sit and watch, and write. That feeling of contentment inspires me. Many of my favorite romantic scenes between Stupid Boy’s Kane McCarthy and Harper Belle came to me while watching a storm roll in from my front porch.  The changing views make the synapses in my brain fire and before I know it, I have new scenes. New characters sometimes. And a book is soon finished.

Do you have a favorite nook to read or write? Is there a place where the pages, whether in a book your reading or a story you’re creating, come to life? Let’s hear it!

About the Author:

Cindy Miles is the best-selling author of twelve novels, one anthology and three short stories. She also writes as Elle Jasper, and grew up on the salt marshes of the Vernon River in Savannah, Georgia.

Find Cindy Online:

Website/Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest

GIVEAWAY!!!

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Title: Stupid Boy (Stupid in Love #2)
Author: Cindy Miles
Publisher: TKA Distribution, 332 Pages (February 17th, 2015)
From: the Author
Format: eARC
Add to: Goodreads
Order a copy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Check out my review of: Stupid Girl (Stupid in Love #1)

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

Synopsis: From Cindy Miles, bestselling new adult author of STUPID GIRL, comes the next installment of her blockbuster Stupid in Love series – STUPID BOY.

Brax Jenkins and Olivia Beaumont are the most envied couple at Winston University—but the so-called “virginity dare,” orchestrated by Brax’s old fraternity, almost tore them apart. Now, a new dare is taking shape, and it’s sure to set emotions ablaze--more than ever before.

Winston’s “It Girl” Harper Belle isn’t just president of the Deltas--she’s also a master at keeping her ugly past a secret. So, when the Kappas’ dare hits closer to home for her more than anyone realizes, she devises a competition of her own as payback. Three sorority sisters will seek out a notorious womanizer on campus and--unbeknownst their “mark”--secretly train him to be the perfect boyfriend. Always up for a challenge, Harper targets the biggest player she can find: Brax’s wickedly handsome foster brother Kane McCarthy.

But, Harper discovers there’s much more to Kane than girls, games, and partying. His easy smile belies the quiet, old soul reflected in his deep brown eyes. All it takes is one night, one secret laid bare, and one kiss from Kane to shift Harper’s world on its axis. Suddenly, the girl who’s always walked a straight and narrow path can’t think of anything else except losing control.

Review: 4 Stars - Stupid Boy is the second book in author Cindy Miles Stupid in Love series. It’s the companion novel to Stupid Girl and each book can be read as a standalone. However since I loved BOTH books I’d not suggest skipping either one.

This time around we have a chance to get to know two characters that are both broken in their own ways and hide their secrets down buried deep from everyone. Harper Belle is president of the Delta sorority and all around good girl. She doesn’t let anyone get too close, wears her perfection like a second skin. She questions everyone and everything and every move she makes is in fear.

Kane McCarthy is a bad boy through in through. He’s the quiet brooding type but has no problem speaking up and his mind when needed. He sees something in Harper, something that reminds him of himself and wants nothing more than to figure her out. See what makes her tick.

The issues these two are dealing with from their pasts have bled through into their present and both feel they have no way of escaping other than doing the best they can with the cards they were dealt. They are just hiding so much, not dealing with anything yet looking for something or someone to save them.

Author – Miles – has written some wonderfully damaged souls. And the issues they’re dealing with are far from easy. You have no choice but to root for them from the beginning all the while your heart breaks again and again while we read flash back scenes as these two characters remember the past while trying to work through the present.

My emotions ran high while reading. I had some strong emotions of hate and sadness for what these two have gone through and those that have hurt them. You want them to see the good in people. You want them to see the good in themselves. You want them to heal and find something to fight for in themselves and in each other.

Another thing about this author is her writing is easy to read. The stories flow and rarely is there any type of lull to remove readers from her characters and their lives. I enjoy a good story with impressive characters to tell it and Miles gives readers both of those things and then some.

A highlight for me to was seeing and having a chance to check in with Brax and Olivia from the first book. It’s always nice when a companion novel checks in with characters from previous books and Miles made sure these two were present in this new journey.

In the end I loved this book. It’s not perfect but it’s pretty great. It has so much to give readers and fans of contemporary stories with damaged characters. Not to mention it’s in one of my favorite categories’ – “New Adult”. I highly recommend this book and the first for readers looking for something that’ll bring out strong emotions from beginning to end and leave you wanting more. I know I’m looking forward to seeing what this author brings us next and I am without a doubt hoping it’ll be more within this series and group of characters. Happy Reading!

About the Author:

Cindy Miles is the best-selling author of twelve novels, one anthology and three short stories. She also writes as Elle Jasper, and grew up on the salt marshes of the Vernon River in Savannah, Georgia.

Find Cindy Online:

Website/Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest

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Title: A Stone in the Sea (Bleeding Stars #1)

Author: A.L. Jackson 

Publisher: (February 23rd, 2015)

Add to: Goodreads

Order here: iBooks

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

Synopsis: He wanted nothing at all…

Until he found she had everything to give… 

Sunder lead singer and guitarist Sebastian Stone has everything—fans, fame, and fortune. He also has a heart full of bitterness and a reputation for a short-fused temper. But an outward reputation rarely reveals the true man inside. Facing assault charges after trying to protect his younger brother, Sebastian is sent to Savannah, Georgia to lie low until the dust settles in L.A.

Shea Bentley is beautiful, kind, and hiding from the very lifestyle Sebastian has always embraced.

When the mysterious, tattooed stranger begins hanging out at the bar where she works, Shea is quick to recognize he is nothing but trouble, but she’s helpless to the way her body lights up every time his intense gray eyes tangle with hers.

They both soon find themselves drowning in a sea of desire and passion that won’t let them up for air.

Sebastian knows firsthand secrets never die, and he’s not the only one who’s hiding them.

Loving someone always comes with a price. But will it be Shea’s past that costs them everything? 

EXCERPT

With a smile, I turned around, then froze when my sight registered the obscured figure leaning against the wall. A strangled gasp caught in my throat, and my heart took off at a sprint, blood pounding hard in my ears.
Pushing from the wall, he stepped from the shadows, his hands again stuffed deep in his pockets.
My heart rate only increased, the energy radiating from him almost as strong as the disappointment he’d left me with when he’d gone.
I pressed my hand to my chest to try to still the panic thundering against my ribs. “You scared me.”
“I’m sorry.” The words were soft. “That’s the last thing I want to do.”
But he did. I was scared of what he was capable of doing to me, the way I knew he held the power to trounce all over this hammering heart, to hold it in his hand and crush it into a million unrecognizable pieces.
“What are you doing here?” I asked on a shaky breath.
He looked to the sky and exhaled heavily, before he leveled his gaze back on me. “The same thing I’m doing every night, Shea. Thinking about you and wondering why the hell I can’t stop.”
My stomach flipped, and I gulped for air.
“What do you want from me?”
He laughed, lifted his elbows out to his sides in a helpless gesture without pulling his hands free. “Dinner?”
Nonsensical laughter shot from me. “At three in the morning?”
“Breakfast?” he amended, a coy smile pulling at his full, crooked lips.
Tingles spread across my skin, and I ran my hands up my bare arms. “I already told you I don’t have time for distractions.”
“Come on, Shea. It’s just food. Go out with me. Just tonight.”
Somehow I knew it was a lie, even though he wanted to believe it was true.
Nervously, I glanced to the back door all the while being inexplicably drawn to this man I didn’t even know. I knew I should make a break for it, run for the safety of my little world and give him no opportunity to rip it apart.
“I am hungry,” I found myself saying. After a long night of work, it was true. But it had nothing to do with the reason I was giving in.
Because I just wanted to…
I shook my head.
That was it. I just wanted. I wanted to be in his space. I wanted to understand why he had this pull on me. I wanted him.
Even though I’d never allow myself to have him.

About the Author: 

A.L. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Take This Regret and Lost to You, as well as other contemporary romance titles, including Pulled, When We Collide, If Forever Comes, Come to Me Quietly, and Come to Me Softly.

She first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student. She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.

Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three children.

A Stone in the Sea, coming February 23, 2015.
Come to Me Recklessly, coming April 7, 2015

Find A.L Online:

FACEBOOK, TWITTER, GOODREADS, AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE, WEBSITE, PINTEREST, TSU

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