Enticed by Books: July 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (46)

July 30, 2013 Aman 21

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by
Jill @ Breaking the Spine where bloggers share their most anticipated reads.

This week I'm waiting on

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith
Releases in April, 2014
by Little, Brown for Young Readers

Goodreads

Early Review: The Marriage Merger by Jennifer Probst

July 29, 2013 Aman 12

Title: The Marriage Merger
Author: Jennifer Probst
Publication: Gallery Books | July 30, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult
Source: Publisher via Netgalley (Thank You!)
Series: Marriage to a Billionaire
The Marriage Bargain
The Marriage Trap
The Marriage Mistake
The Marriage Merger

Goodreads | Purchase

Her sisters have found wedded bliss with their wealthy,wonderful dream men, but not Julietta Conte. She’s stayed on terra firma as top executive of the family’s corporation, La Dolce Famiglia bakery. Work is her passion, and her trendy Milan apartment her sanctuary . . . until Sawyer Wells, a masculine masterpiece in a suit, lures her out of hiding with an irresistible offer: an exclusive partnership with his international chain of boutique hotels.

Julietta’s been burned before—and trusting her brother-in-law’s friend, whose powerful gaze alone has her rethinking the best use of a conference room, is the riskiest proposition. But with a once-in-a-career chance to take the bakery global, will she mix stone-cold business with red-hot seduction?

Review:

     WOW! That was so much better than I expected! The Marriage Merger has finally put a stop to this series' downward motion and has indeed reversed it. I couldn't be more happier with this turn of events, but at the same time I'm really sad after finishing the latest installment in the Marriage to a Billionaire series because it gave an impression that this was the end to the series. I'm really hoping that's not true because this is my go to series for cheesy romances and happily-ever-afters. What am I going to read next?

     Julietta is the only single Conte left, so naturally it's her time to take a chance on the love spell. She never believed for a second that something so ridiculous as a spell would help find her soulmate, but she still gave it a try because of her sister's constant nagging. Julietta is the owner of La Dolce Familia, a very successful chain of Italian bakery and that makes her a very powerful, goal-oriented woman, with a streak of stubbornness. Julietta was my favorite character in this entire series (but I loved Alexa too!), she never back down from a challenge, didn't let emotions come between business, and knew how to balance her life perfectly. Initially I picture her as a very cutthroat person, but being an Italian, she did harbor a soft side that I equally admired. She was the best match for Sawyer, I couldn't have asked for anything better.

     Sawyer is a connoisseur in the hotel business, he is well know among his peers for the work he does and there is no one that can match his caliber. We first met Sawyer in The Marriage Trap where he was very interested in Carina, so glad that didn't work out! But I knew the moment he entered the picture, he was going to be someone I would enjoy reading, especially watching him rip off his emotional layers and fall in love. And that's exactly what happened here, Sawyer's vulnerable side made me fall head-over-heels in love with him. Initially I was very annoyed with Sawyer's "one more day" tactic with Julietta and even had to put the book on hold, but after giving it another, I was so glad for the break. The second time around, I saw him under a different light and understood his action mores clearly. Sawyer was a foster kid and never had it easy; being with Julietta scares him, at the same time excited the shit out of him. His feelings were never conflicted which I loved about him, Sawyer just needed a push and he got that from Mama Conte. And speaking of Mama Conte, I love that old lady, but she is really getting on my nerves with her matchmaking tendencies. She really needs to take a vacation and stop interfering in her kids lives. I'm very happy that her part is over in the series.

     The Marriage Merger was a hot, sexy and one hell of a romantic read. This is the perfect series for readers like me, hopeless romantic and fans of cheesy love stories. And did I tell you the setting was Milan, Italy? Yeah...Foreign countries are double romantic. I really enjoyed this addition in the Marriage to a Billionaire series, Sawyer and Julietta were a strong couple and the best in this series so far. Plus, Wolfe was a great secondary character; with his smart ass remarks to his shocking appearance, he added a lot of entertainment in this book. I'm hoping and praying this is not the end of the series and there is still more to come.

PS: The slightly lower rating is due to my inability to get into the story the first time around. It was definitely a mood thing, but I would say this book deserves a solid 4 stars.

"Enticed by Books turns 1" Blogoversary Giveaway

July 28, 2013 Aman 88

Yes! The day has arrived! My little blog--not so little anymore--turns 1 today!

It's surprising to me that I stuck around for a year (and hopefully more *crossed fingers*) because I never planned on blogging. As a matter of fact, I was never an avid reader and the first time I read a fiction book was in 2011 (the book being Blood Promise by Richelle Mead). Oh and I don't count books for English class because... yeah, never read them either.

Starting a blog was a very impulsive decision on my part and I have never regretted it to this day. I LOVE IT! The best advice I ever received was to start a blog without thinking too much and hit publish on the posts. For the first month, there were little to no hits, but after I started taking parts in the meme's and blog tours, that's when things turned around and I got to be a part of the blogging community.

The biggest reason I blog--besides the whole sharing thoughts and meeting new people bit, which is also absolutely true--would be the amount of focus it gives me. My life is not very interesting and keeping up with blogging makes me feel like I have a purpose. Even if that purpose is getting someone to read a new book. I'm happy with that. And as long as I'm blogging, I'm going to have fun with it and enjoy every moment.

Thank You so much to everyone who has ever visited, recommended, tweeted, liked or supported Enticed by Books. And a special mention goes to all my Commenters. Every time I open my email and see that someone left a comment, I can't tell you how happy that makes me feel. And before I start going cheesy, here's the giveaway part.

Cover Reveal: The Only One by Magan Vernon

July 25, 2013 Aman 10

The Only One
Magan Vernon
Releases on October 17, 2013
by Beautifully Broken Books
Companion to The Only Exception

Add to Goodreads

Honor student, manager at the campus coffee shop, owner of an impressive sweater collection – Melanie Wilder has it all together. Then John “John Boy” Walden strolls into her life wearing nothing more than an impish grin and all-too-revealing loin cloth.

Soon, make-out sessions replace homework, lust triumphs over work. And to further crumble her perfect world, an unexpected phone call threatens to take away everything she’s worked for.

Now, as Melanie struggles to pick up the pieces, she realizes that John may be the only one to put her life back together…unless he shatters it first.

Excerpt

I looked around the basement, sipping whatever concoction some guy poured out of a cooler. He called it a ‘magic potion’ and I hoped that didn’t mean he rufied it. I don’t know how Monica talked me into this.

A horde of girls clad in nothing more than lingerie pushed past me as if I were nothing more than another one of the paddles on the paneled wall. I tried to pull back but then I came face to chest with a set of abs and felt all of the magic potion cascade down my cardigan.

I gasped once the cold liquid soaked through both my layers and hit my skin.

“Too bad, that was such a nice sweater…” A deep voice said.

I looked up, all the way past the chiseled six pack and to a pair of cool blue eyes. “Maybe you should just take it off up in my room and I can help you dry off.” He leaned in, his full lips right on my ear. “Or make you wetter.”

My breath caught in my throat, rendering me speechless. Luckily my best friend Monica jumped between us, pushing the guy back so I got a full view of him and realized he was only wearing a loin cloth and a large smile.

"Down John Boy." She scowled at him and then turned to me, almost knocking her beret off. "What the hell happened to you?"

"I-I-I spilled my drink."

Monica's eyes narrowed as she looked down at the red liquid soaking through my gray sweater. She whipped her head around to the loin cloth clad guy. "Was this your fault? Are you trying to get my friend naked?"

He held up his hands, a cockeyed grin on his face. "Purely an accident, Lib."

Ah, now I knew where I’d seen him before. He had come into the coffee shop we worked at a few times. I don’t think he even glanced in my direction more than to hand me his student ID to pay, but was always calling Monica ‘Lib.’ I’m guessing because she was an extreme liberal.

Monica's boyfriend, the governor's son Trey Chapman, pushed through the crowd. When I usually saw him he was polished in dress pants and a dress shirt, but his Halloween costume was nothing more than a pair of American flag boxers, a dress shirt, and some gray hairspray. He looked ridiculous. I still don't know how Monica talked him into the Clinton and Lewinsky couples costumes.

"Hey, I’ve been looking for you." He slipped his arm around Monica's waist. "What's going on here?"

"Your big brother here spilled a drink on Melanie to try and get her naked."

"Hey!" John yelled.

"It wasn't his fault," I piped in. "It’s crowded here and he just ran into me. It’s fine."

"Fine?" Monica raised her eyebrows. "That Hermione costume you've been wearing since middle school is covered in ever clear and Kool aid. That’s not fine."

"I haven't worn this since middle school!" Okay, truth was, it was my go-to costume. I bought it for the first movie's midnight showing and wore it for every movie opening and Halloween since.

"Whatever." Monica turned her head to Trey and tugged on his shirt. "You can just wear Trey's shirt."

About the Author

Magan Vernon

Magan Vernon is a Young Adult and New Adult writer who lives with her family in the insurance capital of the world. When not writing she spends her time fighting over fake boyfriends via social media.

Find Magan on: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

The Only One is the companion to

The Only Exception.

Read by review.

Event organized by

Review: Killing Sarai by J.A. Redmerski

July 24, 2013 Aman 19

Title: Killing Sarai
Author: J.A. Redmerski
Published: Self | June 19, 2013
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Source: Won
Series: In The Company of Killers
Killing Sarai
Reviving Izabel

Goodreads | Purchase

Sarai was only fourteen when her mother uprooted her to live in Mexico with a notorious drug lord. Over time she forgot what it was like to live a normal life, but she never let go of her hope to escape the compound where she has been held for the past nine years.

Victor is a cold-blooded assassin who, like Sarai, has known only death and violence since he was a young boy. When Victor arrives at the compound to collect details and payment for a hit, Sarai sees him as her only opportunity for escape. But things don’t go as planned and instead of finding transport back to Tucson, she finds herself free from one dangerous man and caught in the clutches of another.

While on the run, Victor strays from his primal nature as he succumbs to his conscience and resolves to help Sarai. As they grow closer, he finds himself willing to risk everything to keep her alive; even his relationship with his devoted brother and liaison, Niklas, who now like everyone else wants Sarai dead.

As Victor and Sarai slowly build a trust, the differences between them seem to lessen, and an unlikely attraction intensifies. But Victor’s brutal skills and experience may not be enough in the end to save her, as the power she unknowingly holds over him may ultimately be what gets her killed.

This is their story…

Review:

     This is the first book where I'm more scared of an innocent, rescued girl than the cold-blooded killer guy. Oh.My.God! Sarai makes me so nervous and I feel like by the end of the series she is going to get everyone killed including herself. She's not stupid or immature or any of those useless heroines, Sarai is a very very dangerous girl, her mental state is so unstable yet unusually focused. It sounds even weird when I put it like that but that's what it is. You never know how she is going to react to a situation and that unpredictably of her character is what makes me love this book!

     Sarai was dropped at a Mexican drug cartel compound at the age of 14 by her mother and was held captive for the next 9 years, but Sarai never lived a life a slave. She was being held without her consent but her being Javier's favorite made her untouchable for others. On top of that, Sarai was given a lot of privileged facilities that weren't available for other girls. Though I firmly believe that she was a prisoner with a great survival instincts. When an opportunity arrives one day in the form of the first American man Sarai has even seen in that compound, she packs her bags and escapes in his car without a backward glance. Her sense of relief is short lived because that man wants nothing to do with her. Victor is a killer-for-hire and was doing his job in Mexico when he first encountered Sarai. He knew that she was a hindrance in his plans but decided to keep her because of her value to Javier. I loved loved loved Victor. He wasn't a "hard on the outside, soft on the inside" type of guy, he was what he appeared. A Cold Blooded Killer. An emotionless, ruthless guy who doesn't care about anyone.

     What I loved the most about Killing Sarai was that the characters remained true to themselves. There never changed their path and stick with what they did. There were numerous times where Victor just want to kill Sarai and get it over with, but Sarai is a very good negotiator and have a way with words like nobody else. I'm not particularly fond of Sarai because of her hard-to-grasp personality, but I'm in love with her adventurous, daring and dangerous journey, and I can't wait to continue it. Also, her relationship with Victor is so difficult yet every part of me want them to have a happily ever after. Well, let's be real, there won't be any happy in it but I just want them together.

     Killing Sarai was a thrilling, adventurous, rough, violent yet a very romantic story in it's own way. The romance wasn't anything I'd read before, it clearly wasn't hearts and flowers, but it wasn't disturbing either. I loved how the story ended because it was very realistic, but there is still a lot left to uncover in Sarai's as well as Victor's life and I can't wait to find out! Plus, the cover is so appropriate for the story and I know that the author is planning to changing it, but I would say that that image of Sarai is a perfect representation of her character. Darker contemporary fans really need to read this book ASAP!

Waiting on Wednesday (45)

Aman 12

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by
Jill @ Breaking the Spine where bloggers share their most anticipated reads.

This week I'm waiting on

The King (Black Dagger Brotherhood #12) by J.R. Ward
Releases on March 25, 2014
by NAL

Goodreads

Review: Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown

July 22, 2013 Aman 20

Title: Thousand Words
Author: Jennifer Brown
Published: Little Brown Books for Young Readers | May 21, 2013
Genre: Contemporary, YA
Source: Bought
Goodreads | Purchase

Ashleigh's boyfriend, Kaleb, is about to leave for college, and Ashleigh is worried that he'll forget about her while he's away. So at a legendary end-of-summer pool party, Ashleigh's friends suggest she text him a picture of herself -- sans swimsuit -- to take with him. Before she can talk herself out of it, Ashleigh strides off to the bathroom, snaps a photo in the full-length mirror, and hits "send."

But when Kaleb and Ashleigh go through a bad breakup, Kaleb takes revenge by forwarding the text to his baseball team. Soon the photo has gone viral, attracting the attention of the school board, the local police, and the media. As her friends and family try to distance themselves from the scandal, Ashleigh feels completely alone -- until she meets Mack while serving her court-ordered community service. Not only does Mack offer a fresh chance at friendship, but he's the one person in town who received the text of Ashleigh's photo -- and didn't look.

Acclaimed author Jennifer Brown brings readers a gripping novel about honesty and betrayal, redemption and friendship, attraction and integrity, as Ashleigh finds that while a picture may be worth a thousand words . . . it doesn't always tell the whole story.

Review:

     When reading an issue book, I always judge it on how well the said issue was covered and the level of my emotional connection with the story/character, and while reading Thousand Words I never felt that connection. I could see what the character was going through and could easily sympathize with her, but I guess the impact I was waiting for throughout the story, never really hit me. Nevertheless, Thousand Words was a very educational read regarding the topic of sexting. I'm not a person who likes texting in general (Seriously, calling is so much better!), so I never understood the rush behind sending someone you're private picture, even if you're 100% confident that that person won't share it with someone. The whole thing is so fucking stupid, but atleast after reading this book I've learnt not to judge someone too harshly until I know their full story.

     Ashleigh made a mistake. And the worst thing about it was that the community wanted to teach a lesson to other kids by bringing Ashleigh's case to court and showing them how bad it can get if they won't make the right decisions. Ashleigh was punished with 60 hours of community service while the boyfriend was charged with...I'm not really sure. There were talks about him possibly being registered as a sex offender, but we don't really know if that actually happened because of the fucking incomplete ending, but I will get to that later. Like I mentioned before, I really didn't connect that much with Ashleigh to fully understand her standpoint, but I did empathized with her parents. My heart broke for them, the shame they had to go through because of something their daughter did was utterly devastating. Plus, her father was the superintendent and was likely fired from his position because of something he had no control over. Ashleigh's mistake* didn't just effect her life, it ended up changing everyone's life around her.

     During the community service, Ashleigh meets Mack, a fellow criminal (wait, that doesn't sound right) and ends up forming a really strong friendship with him. I really liked Mack; even though we don't know a lot about him, I loved the role he played in bringing Ashleigh out of her sorrow and making her see herself in a different light. By the end of the story, Ashleigh has matured so much and all the credit goes to Mack for that change. They didn't have any romance but they might in the near future and I wish them good luck for it. They are a really cute couple. Now coming back to the ending, I felt that we were left hanging. There are a bazillion questions I have [SPOILER What happened with Kaleb and the other guys? What happened with Ashleigh's father? Was he fired? Plus, I really though Ashleigh would speak in front of the community and tell them her side of the story, but that didn't happen. END OF SPOILER] As far as Ashleigh's story is concerned, the ending is complete, but overall it's not a very well wrapped up story.

     Thousand Words was a good book. I cared for some of it and didn't really for the rest, so my rating is going to be neutral. I've heard a lot of great things about Jennifer Brown, but I didn't find anything special in this particular book. The writing was okay, the pace was good, the different timelines were handled really well, but I didn't find anything that completely wowed me or made me want to add his book in my unforgettable reads list. Though I do commend the author for writing about a very well known yet wrongly judged issue, I enjoyed that part a lot.

* I keep saying Ashleigh's mistake over and over again but I do want to mention that it was Kaleb's mistake too. They both made a wrong decision and were partly faulty for the scandal.

Stacking the Shelves (11) - The one with epic win!

July 21, 2013 Aman 11

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Review where bloggers shares the books they bought, won or received for review.

These are the books I got last week.
Click on the book covers for their Goodreads page.

Bought

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

Won

Too many books, I can't link. Thanks to Christina at A Readers of Fictions for this awesome bundle of books! I literally yelled when I got the email. I can't wait to read The Bronze Horseman trilogy, that has always been my Must Read series. Well, now I can! A Midsummer Night's Scream was my Armchaire BEA win that finally arrived last week. I've heard pretty okay things about it, but I'm still looking forward to reading it. Thanks to Feiwel & Friends for sending me a copy.

Plus, I also won an ecopy of Killing Sarai from Little Pieces of Imagination. I'm reading that right now and LOVING IT! I'm a few pages in but would highly recommend it to fans of I-team series specially Breaking Point.

For Review

No Reverse by Marion Croslydon
Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

A Huge Thanks to HarperTeen, Marion Croslydon and AToMR Tours!

How was your week in books?
Let me know in the comments :)

Review: MacRieve by Kresley Cole

July 19, 2013 Aman 13

Title: MacRieve
Author: Kresley Cole
Published: Gallery Books | July 2, 2013
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Adult
Source: Bought
Series: Immortal After Dark #13
Goodreads | Purchase

A Beast In Torment

Uilleam MacRieve believed he’d laid to rest the ghosts of his boyhood. But when a brutal torture revives those ancient agonies and destroys his Lykae instinct, the proud Scot craves the oblivion of death. Until he finds her—a young human so full of spirit and courage that she pulls him back from the brink.

A Beauty In Chains

Seized for the auction block, Chloe Todd is forced to enter a terrifying new world of monsters and lore as a bound slave. When offered up to creatures of the dark, she fears she won’t last the night. Until she’s claimed by him—a tormented immortal with heartbreaking eyes, whose touch sets her blood on fire.

A Full Moon On The Rise

With enemies circling, MacRieve spirits Chloe away to the isolated Highland keep of his youth. But once he takes her to his bed, his sensual mate becomes something more than human, evoking his savage past and testing his sanity. On the cusp of the full moon, can he conquer his worst nightmare to save Chloe . . . from himself?

Immortal After Dark

IAD is a very complex series filled with every paranormal creature you can imagine. From Valkyries, Lycaes, Demons, Vampires,Witches, Succubus to various snake, crocodile, and other gross shifters, this series is sure to pleasure any type of reader. It has hot sexy alpha males, stunningly gorgeous Vamps, witty Valkyries and mischievous witches. Plus, there always a promise of swoony romance along with a lot of dirty otherworldly action. FUN! I'm just waiting for zombies to pop up in future books, we know it's going to happen. The most important thing about Immortal After Dark is that it has to be read in order, some of the stories are intermingled and overlapped in a perfectly synchronized way and you will be confused and lost if you randomly pick any book in this series. It doesn't work that way!

Due to the presence of numerous character throughout this series, it's hard to keep track of everyone unless you have a photographic memory or a very well used notepad. Either ways, for us normal folks, there is this wonderful side that has detailed description and background of every character and it provides tremendous help during the read. Must bookmark it!

MacRieve

     Immortal After Dark is my all time favorite paranormal series (well it does tie with Night Huntress, I can't pick one!) and I've been following it for the last 2 years but I can safely say that I have never not enjoyed any of those 12 previous books. It's really sad and breaks my heart to say this, but MacRieve wasn't Kresley Cole's finest work. I did enjoy it a lot, it made me laugh so hard that tears came out at times and it definitely made me crush hard on Chloe aka Baby T-Rex (Love her nickname!) because of her fucking awesome personality. I love her like I love Nix and that's a pretty high standard. Some of the things that did let me down was MacRieve bipolar personality and the overall lack of secondary characters in the story. There was so much MacRieve and Chloe in this book that after I while I felt like I was reading a contemporary. I needed some PNR action! Plus I missed the other lore members, they were barely in the book.

     Ullieam MacRieve aka the hot of Hot & Hotter was a hard alpha to handle. He didn't have the best childhood and was broken in a way that seemed difficult, more to impossible to fix. After being captured and toured by The Order in Demon After Dark, MacRieve was ready to give up. He couldn't handle any more pain and the day he planned to commit suicide, he got an email from the witches about Commander Webb's daughter's auction. And that has been MacRieve's ultimate dream since his rescue from The Order's prison: REVENGE. But there was a little hurdle in his path named Chloe, the Commander's very own daughter and now MacRieve's mate. Ha! I love the work of fates! It's so beautifully twisted and makes you want to root for the couple even harder than ever. Chloe is an Olympic soccer player and unaware of the existing paranormal creatures and her father's doing, so you can imagine how surprisingly it would be for her to be thrown into that world one day, but I would say she managed really well.

     Due to the wolf's instinct, MacRieve has no other choice than to protect Chloe from the Lore and provide for her as her mate. I loved the romance in the beginning, MacRieve was very patient and open with Chloe, he flirted with her and introduced her to his clan as Chloe MacRieve, but then something happened and he flipped. Not only did her hated Chloe and humiliated her in front of everyone at any given chance, he was rough with her during sex and made her feel like a worthless piece of shit after the intercourse. I was so disgusted by MacRieve's action that there was no way I was going to forgive him or accept any excuse for his actions by the end. I've never been repulsed by a character this much, he was a true disappointment. Also, the myth used in the end was rather silly. Instead of taking it seriously, I was laughing along the way. Very ridiculous.

     All in all, MacRieve wasn't the best book in the Immortal After Dark series. There were some funny moments brought on by two orphaned brothers, Ronan and Ben, but mostly Ronan. His blunt nature made him an extremely hilarious and joy-to-read character. I liked him a lot! Plus, Chloe was my favorite heroine. I loved her headstrong, "never give up and always fight for yourself" nature, she was truly an admirable character. Even though MacRieve didn't end up impressing me, I still highly recommend IAD series to every paranormal fanatic. It is a gem not to be missed!

IAD Series Order

Series Goodreads Page

1. The Warlock Wants Forever

2. A Hunger Like No Other

3. No Rest for the Wicked

4. Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night

5. Dark Needs at Night’s Edge

6. Dark Desires After Dusk
7. Kiss of a Demon King
8. A Deep Kiss of Winter
9. Pleasure of a Dark Prince
10. Demon from the Dark
11. Dreams of a Dark Warrior

12. Lothaire
13. MacRieve

Blog Tour: Romancing The Bookworm by Kate Evangelista

Aman 9

Hi everyone! Today, I'm hosting a tour stop for Kate Evangelista's Romancing the Bookworn Blog Tour organized by AToMR Tours. I have an excerpt, book trailer and a tour wide giveaway to share with you guys, but first lets see what the book is all about.

Romancing The Bookworm

Kate Evangelista

Released on July 9, 2013

by Omnific Publishing

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Sometimes, even the best-laid plans can unravel.

It's spring break, and Tamara Winters would rather stay on campus and read romance novels than flaunt her size-fourteen body on a beach. But her best friend, Ronni, has other ideas. Against her wishes, Tamara is whisked away to picturesque Maverick Bay, where she's wrangled into waiting tables with Ronni at the Shore Shack for its busy week leading to Maverick's Surf Invitational. There she meets fellow schoolmate Xavier Solomon, the Invitational's organizer and campus womanizer by reputation. From the moment Tamara sees him emerging from the waves like a hero in of one of her romance novels, all she wants to do is run away from the feelings he inspires in her.

Little does she know Xavier has been watching her for weeks now. In fact, after failed attempts at asking her out on campus, he's concocted a crazy plan: fabricating romantic situations straight out of her favorite books. Xavier quickly realizes that if Tamara gets a whiff of his designs, he might as well spell CREEPER across his forehead. Yet as they grow closer, he's convinced it's a risk worth taking. What he hasn't planned on, of course, is his drug-addicted, alcoholic stepbrother, who decides to join the fun and put a wrench in Xavier’s scheme.

Spring break is proving hotter than Tamara expected. Will her romance novels be able to compete?

Excerpt

The kiss happened so fast. When she landed on me and started her laughing fit, my brain shut down. All I could focus on was how close her lips were to mine. No thinking involved there. She said she wanted another drink; my brain thought that meant kiss.

When my surprise wore off, I’d just decided to pull back when she began to respond. My body took that as the go ahead and pulled out all the stops. The slight parting of her lips was all I needed. Jesus. She tasted better than I could have imagined. Sweet and something else all her own. She kissed tentatively at first, following my lead. But the longer our lips stayed attached, the bolder she became.

Her fingers splayed across my chest. I curled my hand on the back of her neck to the soft hair there. My other hand traveled from her hip to her back, locking her in place. She wasn’t getting away this time. I bit down on her lower lip and she gasped, the sharp inhale driving me forward. I explored freely, teasing her tongue to life. I felt her body lose the rest of its tension in my arms. The second she relaxed, I knew I had her. And damn if she didn’t give as good as she got.

Just when I thought the kiss couldn’t get any hotter, she tilted her head to the side and ran the tip of her talented tongue over the roof my mouth. Where the hell did she learn to do that? I couldn’t stop the moan even if I wanted to.

We only came up for air when I shifted my position and, all this time, she’d kept her eyes closed. Lust, hot and dangerous, gathered in the pit of my stomach and my heart sent all available blood to the one place I didn’t need it to be right now. But did I care? Hell no! Screw the bonfire and everyone attending. If I wanted to make out with Tamara in public, I damn well would.

She sighed when I moved my lips to her neck, kissing a trail down to her collarbone and up again on the other side. She tilted her head back to give me better access. Shit. When this first started, I thought I’d been dreaming, but with each response she gave me, I quickly realized this was better than anything I could think up.

When my lips reached the soft spot behind her ear and she shivered, my conscience decided to play chaperone. I hadn’t put the plan together just for a five minute make out session. Sure, I enjoyed having her lips against mine—a little too much if I was being completely honest. But really? I wasn’t that guy.

Unfortunately, the realization came with the worst reaction ever. I stood without warning and dumped her unceremoniously on the sand. Tamara hissed in surprise, and guilt punched me in the gut. She rubbed her backside in shock.

Book Trailer

About the Author

Kate Evangelista

When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing.

Find Kate on: Website | Twitter

Giveaway

Enter to win one of the following prizes:

1 Print copy of Romancing the Bookworm INT

1 Book inspired necklace that says “Surf” (picture attached) INT
8 eBooks of Romancing the Bookworm INT

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Shout Out To: Nina Lane's Spiral of Bliss series

July 17, 2013 Aman 10

I got the shout out idea from this week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: Author who deserve more recognition, and for me Nina Lane definitely tops the list. I can't even put into words how much I love her Spiral of Bliss series. The first book, Arouse, started as a random late night pleasure read few months ago, but I remember staying up all night and being so invested in Liv & Dean's story to even put it down for few hours and get some sleep. But it was so worth it! Arouse, without a doubt, turned out to be one of the best books I've read so far. But that was until I read Allure, even better!

Arouse (Spiral of Bliss #1)
Nina Lane
Released on December 24, 2012
by Snow Queen Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult
Goodreads | Amazon

"One day I'm going to touch you in a thousand different ways and show you how to touch me," he said.

And he did.

Struggling with a tormented past, undergraduate Olivia Winter once led a practical but isolated life. Then she met Professor Dean West, a brilliant scholar of medieval history who melted Liv's inhibitions and taught her the meaning of both love and erotic pleasure. But after three years of a blissful, lusty marriage, Liv and Dean now face a crisis that threatens everything they believe about each other...and sex might not be enough to save them.

Real. Raw. Emotional. Heartbreaking. YET Romantic. Beautiful. Hopeful.

Arouse is about a married couple Liv and Dean. And the best part about it: They are already in love, have a stronger than ever relationship, and nothing can break them apart. But like many married couples, they made mistakes throughout the way, had communication issues at times and possibly trust issues, but you know what, going through all of those obstacles made them more stronger as a couple and mature as an individual. Their story brought out a bundle of emotions from my inside and made me feel ALL THE FEELS! Every married couple have problems and reading about this couple in particular gave me hope that if you're willing to work out your issues together, then marriages do work.

Arouse was something else entirely. Nina Lane did an exceptionally great job bringing Liv & Dean's character to life and making us feel everything they were going through. I don't think I've read anything like this before and I highly recommend this series to readers who are looking for a stable, strong and romantic couple, along with their equally emotional love story.

Allure (Spiral of Bliss #2)

Nina Lane

Released on May 14, 2013

by Snow Queen Publishing

Goodreads | Amazon

Won't share the synopsis, it's a bit spoilery.

And then Allure turned out to be even better than Arouse! It proved once again than no matter how tough their lives get, Liv and Dean will never give up. Their love can surpass any hurdle and that's exactly what makes me love this series. Liv + Dean = LOVE!

Even though the last book in the Spiral of Bliss series, Awaken, is yet to be released, I would call this series a hit and give it 5 stars. Nina Lane is my favorite new author this year and I can't wait to read more from her. For now, I'm dying to read Awaken!

Have you read this read series? Are you planning on reading it soon? What are your thoughts on Liv and Dean? Let me know in the comments.

Waiting on Wednesday (44)

July 16, 2013 Aman 14

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by
Jill @ Breaking the Spine where bloggers share their most anticipated reads.

This week I'm waiting on

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
Releases on January 28, 2014
by HarperTeen

Goodreads

Review + Giveaway: Moonlight by Lisa Kessler

July 15, 2013 Aman 19

Hi everyone! I'm so excited to be a part of Lisa Kessler's Moonlight Blog Tour. This book was exceptionally good and I can't wait to read more from the author. I have my review and a tour wide giveaway to share with you guys, but first lets see what this book is all about.

Title: Moonlight
Author: Lisa Kessler
Published: Entangled Edge | July 15, 2013
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: Publisher for review (Thank You!)
Series: Moon
Moonlight
Hunter's Moon

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Rancher Adam Sloan is more than meets the eye. As the heir to his Pack, the sexy werewolf’s biggest challenge is keeping his kin’s true nature under wraps. But a group of jaguar shifters threatens to reveal the pack, blasting into town killing humans in plain sight. And when he smells one at the local diner, his standing orders are to take her out.

Lana Turpin doesn’t realize she’s a moving target. Raised in the foster system, she only knows that she blacks out during the new moon and wakes up without remembering a thing. But now she’s being tracked by some strange organization that wants her back—even though she’s never stepped foot inside their compound. And the stranger across the diner is watching her like an enemy.

It should be a simple mission for Adam, but when he touches the frustratingly beautiful Lana, his inner wolf howls…mate. Now, the two must find and stop the people who hunt her…and Adam must keep his own family from killing the only woman he will ever love.

Review:

     Oh.My.God! This just proves how much I missed my werewolves! Moonlight was perfect in every way and I can't believe I went in thinking it would be some average take-my-mood-off-contemporary read, but it actually ended up putting me in a paranormal zone and I loved every minute of it. Moonlight was a complete package, it had a great story, intriguing characters, well developed background and most importantly, a very heartfelt and fluttering romance. Ah, I get so excited and happy just thinking about it! Why isn't the next book out yet?

     Told from dual perspective, Moonlight follows the story of a werewolf, Adam and a Jaguar shifter, Lana. Being in foster homes throughout her life, Lana is unaware of her shifter abilities and every full moon night, she blacks out and doesn't remember her Jaguar memories. One of those nights while at a restaurant, she meets Adam and little did she knew that he was hunting a Jaguar who's been disturbing peace in his territory and he might have found it. I absolutely loved the backstory on werewolves and Jaguar; they are enemies, there is no if or but inbetween. While one is a protector, other is an assassin. If any of them gets in a fight, there is only one winner. Gah! Loved the polar opposite nature! And that's exactly what made Lana and Adam's story so special and distinct. Adam knew the minute he met Lana that she was his mate, but he feelings were conflicted because he knew that his pack would never accept her. He had to pick: Lana or his family, and the decision was not easy. At times, I felt like Adam was a coward, he kept Lana as his dirty little secret and never introduced her to his family, I hurt for her, but in the end when everything came together, I couldn't be more happier with his early decisions. Believe it or not, they did made sense.

     In addition to the Adam and Lana, we were introduced to so many secondary characters, most of them were the pack members and my adrenaline was high just by reading about them. I loved every single one of these sexy wolves and I desperately want a separate story for each of them. Please... Although my favorite is Garreth, the mysterious one that no one can figure out. I bet he has to good story.

     Moonlight is a complete story along with a cute epilogue at the end, which is always an added bonus for my reading pleasure. I strongly recommend fans of urban fantasy especially those of love werewolves to add this book to your reading list. It is a Must Read!

About the Author

Lisa Kessler

Lisa Kessler is an award-winning author of dark paranormal fiction. Her debut novel, Night Walker, won a San Diego Book Award for best Fantasy-Sci-fi-Horror, and many other awards. Her short stories have been published in print anthologies and magazines, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award. Lisa lives in southern California with her husband and two amazing kids.

Find Lisa on: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Facebook Launch Party

Everyone is invited to celebrate the release of Moonlight with Lisa and she has lots of goodies to giveaway today from 4pm - 9pm Pacific. Go HERE!

Giveaway

To celebrate the Moonlight launch day, Lisa's giving away a $25 Amazon gift card, a bullet necklace that's just like Adam's, and more!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

July 13, 2013 Aman 19

Title: Insurgent
Author: Veronica Roth
Published: HarperCollins | May 1, 2012
Genre: Dystopian, YA
Source: Bought
Series: Divergent
Divergent
Insurgent
Allegiant

Goodreads | Purchase

One choice can transform you, or destroy you. Every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves, and herself, while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Review:

     This is going to be a tough one to review because I really don't know how I feel about it. I certainly didn't love Insurgent as much as Divergent, but I don't hate it either. I wouldn't classify it as a meh read because I did care about the story and the characters. When I look at the Divergent series as a whole, I LOVE where the story is heading, Veronica Roth did an amazing job with the plotting, but overall I wasn't invested in this particular sequel and it was specially hard for me to get back in the story after taking few intervals. So the only conclusion I can come up with is that Insurgent being a well written book on one hand is a poorly executed one on the other.

     Insurgent starts off at the exact moment where Divergent ended, the survivors of the Dauntless attack on Abnegation through stimulation are on a train for Amity where they hope to find shelter. Tris, Four, Marcus, Peter and Caleb were the only one on the train as far as I can remember. The purpose in Insurgent for Tris and Four was to find the reason why Erudite and Dauntless attacked Abnegation in the first place and what that means for the future of all the factions. What I loved the most in Insurgent was the diversity in the world. We heard about all the factions in the previous books, but in this one, we actually visited every single one of them and saw how they operated as a society. What surprised me the most about Candor and Amity was the strength they had, instead of me-me-me nature like the Dauntless and Erudite, both the former factions were together and united throughout the ordeal as individuals. I loved that!

     One of the major reason I didn't enjoy Insurgent that much was TRIS! I don't know what the hell happened with her, but she fucking changed. For the worst. Tris was stupid, dumb and careless! I get that she is going through tough times: her parents died, she killed Will, the world is dying, but COME ON! Every person in that world was going through shitty times, she's wasn't the only one and I can safely say that everyone else was handled their issues much better than Tris did. There were so many life or death moments where Tris just gave up and Four had to save her ass every fucking time. Why? Because she can't handle violence anymore! You've got to be kidding me! Where is that fucking awesome Divergent girl I loved? Where is she? Tris made me so mad, you can clearly tell by the number of times I used fuck in this paragraph alone. I mean there's no other expression that can describe my feeling so accurately.

     Overall, I'm not very happy with Insurgent, though I loved that it ended with a BANG! That definitely made me feel better about this series and it's direction. I'm really hoping that Tris gets her act together in Allegiant and stop being depressed all the time. Plus, I really wish she opens up more with Four, all the secrecy is not really helping their relationship. I'm not expecting anything from Allegiant but I'm still crossing my finger that it ends up blowing my mind and makes me fall in love with this series all over again.

Apocalypse Blog Hop!

July 12, 2013 Aman 13

Hi everyone! I'm super pumped to be a part of Apocalypse Blog Hop hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings, Love of Books and The Noctural Library!

As most of you know that dystopian and post apocalyptic is the new genre I'm trying this year and so far I'm loving it. I do have my favorites, but there are so many more series that I want to try, so today for the giveaway, I'll have a mix of these books for you guys to win. Good Luck!

Book Blitz: Rush by Eve Silver

Aman 5

Today, I'm hosting a stop for the Rush Book Blitz organized by YA Bound Book Tours. I have an excerpt and giveaway! Make sure to enter at the end of the post, but first lets see what the book is all about.

Title: Rush (The Game #1)

Author: Eve Silver

Released on June 11, 2013

By Harper Teen

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | TBD

So what’s the game now? This, or the life I used to
know?

When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t.

And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.

Excerpt

There’s a flash of light, blindingly bright. Colored haloes obscure my vision. They dance and flicker and then disappear, leaving only a rectangle of light boxed in by the dark doorframe.

I see then that the door’s gone and in front of me are people. No…they aren’t people. They have limbs, hair, faces, but they aren’t human. After the first glance, they don’t look even remotely human. They’re pure, painful white, so bright they throw off a glare. They look like they’ve been dipped in glass, smooth and polished, but fluid. And their eyes…they’re a silvery color, like the mercury in the antique thermometer that my mom used to have at the side of the front porch.

When I was ten, I knocked that thermometer off with my wooden kendo sword, shattering the glass. The little blobs of mercury went all over the porch. I was a kid. I didn’t know better. I touched them, prodding the little balls until they joined the bigger blob. My mom swooped down on me and snatched me away, telling me it was poison. It could kill me.

I stare at the things in front of me: the Drau. I can’t look away.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remember Jackson talking about Medusa.

Don’t look at their eyes.

Their mercury eyes.

They’re poison.

They will kill me.

Trailer

About the Author
Eve Silver

Eve Silver lives with her gamer husband and sons, sometimes in Canada, but often in worlds she dreams up. She loves kayaking and sunshine, dogs and desserts, and books, lots and lots of books. Watch for the first book in Eve’s new teen series, THE GAME: RUSH, coming from Katherine Tegen Books, June 2013. She also writes books for adults.

Find Eve on: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads