Thursday, October 31, 2013

5 Stars for Foreplay by Sophie Jordan

The Ivy Chronicles Book #1
Foreplay
by Sophie Jordan
The Ivy Chronicles Book #1
304 pages

Blurb:
Pepper has been hopelessly in love with her best friends brother, Hunter, for like forever. He's the key to everything she's always craved: security, stability, family. But she needs Hunter to notice her as more than just a friend. Even though she's kissed exactly one guy, she has just the plan to go from novice to rock star in the bedroom- take a few pointers from someone who knows what he's doing.

Her college roommates have the perfect teacher in mind. But bartender Reece is nothing like the player Pepper expects. Yes, he's beyond gorgeous, but he's also dangerous, deep- with a troubled past. Soon what started at lessons in attraction are turning both their worlds around, and showing just what happens when you go past foreplay and get to what's real...

Excerpt: 
(This was one of my favorite scenes in this book)
Walking through the parking lot, the soles of my boots crunched over the loose gravel. I almost turned back around when I remembered the burger I had wanted. I was contemplating chicken strips and Tater Tots when a hand fell on my shoulder.

With a shriek, I whiled around, my fist instinctively flying, lashing out, making contact. My knuckles grazed off a shoulder.

"Whoa, Easy there." Reece stood there, holding one hand up in the air while his other hand rubbed at the top of his shoulder where I'd struck him.

I covered my mouth with both hands. My words escaped muffled. "OhmyGod!" I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I should have called out. Good reflexes, but you should work on your aim."

My hands fell from my face slowly.

I stared at him, still trying to comprehend that he was here. In front of me. It was strange seeing him out of his element. Other than that first time, I'd only ever seen him inside Mulvaney's. Here, outside, he seemed bigger, larger than life.

My head cocked to the side. "Are you"-I waved a finger between him and me-"following me?"

"I saw you leave."

"So. That's a yes."

He was watching me? He noticed me. I wasn't invisible after all.

He continued. "Look, you shouldn't be out her alone at night. Guys get a few drinks in them, see a pretty girl walking by herself..." His voice faded away, his implication clear.

I only heard one thing. Pretty.

"I'll walk you to your car," he finished.


"Thanks." I turned the direction of my car. He fell in step beside me.

I slid him a long look. Without the distance of the bar top between us, I was fully aware of his height. I was no tiny thing like Emerson, and the top of my head barely reached his chin. He had to be a few inches over six feet. It was a new experience- feeling delicate and petite.

"I hope you don't get in trouble for leaving the bar. Are you on a break?"

"It'll be fine."

I was conscious of this arm, so close to mine as we walked. He slid one hand into his front jeans pocket.

"Your leaving early," he noted.

"Yeah." Silence fell. Feeling a need to fill it, I added, "Not feeling it tonight." At least I wasn't before. Now I'm feeling it. I;m feeling everything. His body beside mine radiated heat. My every nerve vibrated like a plucked wire, achingly aware of him. We're not even touching, but it's like I felt him everywhere. It was a shock I could even talk in a steady voice.

"Not feeling it tonight," he echoed his voice low. There was laughter in his voice even though he didn't come right out and laugh. He dropped his head back and looked up at the stars. A slow smile curved his mouth.

"What's so amusing?"

"Just thinking about that."

"What?"

He looked back down. "I can't count the nights, I'm not feeling it,' but I still have to be there."

Have to. Interesting choice of words. "You don't like your job?"

He shrugged. "Sometimes I do."

"Are you a student, too?"

"Nope."

"Did you graduate already?"

"Just high school."

So working at the bar was all there was for him. Again, there was a stab of disappointment. Which was not only judgmental of me, but absurd. I wasn't considering this guy for a boyfriend or lifelong partner material. I shouldn't feel anything at his lack of ambition.

He continued, "You in college?"

I nodded.

"Let me guess, Dartford?" There were three universities in the area, but Dartford had the most prestigious reputation.

"Yes."

"Thought so. You've got "Ivy" written all over you."

"What do you mean?"

"You look sweet and nice. Smart." We were almost to my car when he added. "And you're not a regular, but you've been here three nights in a row." Not a question. Just a statement.

Again, that he was aware of me made me go all warm and fuzzy inside. "My friend Emerson, comes here a  lot. You've probably seen her before. She's hard to miss." He neither confirmed nor denied this. "She invited me along. I don't do the bar scene all that much."

"So you've decided to start living the college experience in full then. IS that it? Last night didn't scare you off?"

I frowned. "Oh, you mean that guy by the bathroom. Should I have let that scare me?"

He didn't say anything, and I thought back to his comment on Thursday night about nice girls getting eaten up in places like Mulvaney's. "Oh, That's right. Nice girls like me should stay home.

"I didn't say that."

We stopped at my car.

The low rumble of his voice continued, " Getting mauled outside the bathroom might have turned some girls off from coming back again the next night though."

"I'm not most girls." He had no idea. I might look naive and innocent, but my scars ran deep. It took a lot to spook me.

I fumbled for my keys, the slow burn of my temper making my hands shake.

"I might look like some nerd college girl and note one of the sexpots tripping through the bar every night, but-"

His voice cut in smooth and deep, no hint of the temper I was feeling. "I didn't say that either."

"You're thinking it."

"You're right. You're nothing like the other girls I see every night."

"Oh, that's nice," I muttered.

My fingers closed around the hard steel of my keys. Unlocking the door and pulling it open, I looked up to face him, ready to tell him off, but then I lost myself in those pale blue eyes until I wasn't sure what I was mad about anymore. Those eyes made everything inside of me go hot and weak all at once.

"And that's not a bad thing. Trust me."

Suddenly my knees felt all trembly and I knew I needed to sit down.

"Thanks for the walk." I started to duck inside the car, but his voice stopped me.

"Tell me something, Pepper."

It was the first time I'd heard my name on his lips.

I nodded dumbly, the open door at my back. "How old are you really?"

The question caught me off guard. "Nineteen."

He laughed, the sound loose and dark, curling through me like hot chocolate. "Thought so." his well-carved lips quirked. "You're just a kid."

"I am not a kid," I protested. I haven't been a kid since I spend my nights in motel bathroom, listening to my mom getting bombed with random guys on either side of the door. "How old are you?" I shot back.

"Twenty-three."

"You're not that much older than me," I argued. "I'm not a kid."

He held up both hands as though warding me off. His half smile mocked me. "If you say so."

I made a growl of frustration. "Don't do that."

"What?"

"Condescend to  me," I snapped.

One of his dark eyebrows winged high. "Uh-oh. I made you mad. College girl is pulling out the big vocabulary words now."

How did this guy get girls to make out with him? He was a colossal jerk. I could blame it on his looks, but not all hot guys were jerks. Hunter wasn't.

"Prick," I muttered as I turned to slide into my car. "Why don't you go back to serving beer and stale peanuts?"

His hand closed around my arm and pulled me back around. I looked down at his hand on my arm and then up to his face.

"Hey," he said flatly, all hint of a smile gone. My pulse skittered at my neck and I resisted the urge to press a hand there and steady the wild thrum of my blood. I wouldn't reveal his effect on me. "The peanuts aren't stale."

I might have laughed except there was no levity in his expression. His pale blue eyes fastened on my face. His fingers clung to my arm, burning an imprint through my sleeve.

Then those eyes dropped to my lips.

OhGodOhGodOhGod. He's going to kiss me.

This was it. The moment of my second-scratch that. Third kiss. Unsolicited or not, I had to count last night. This one was the one I had been waiting for though. The one where I would learn to actually kiss. From a guy- a man-who knew how to do it properly.

He inched toward me. My heart erupted like a drum in my chest. His head dipped, and then all thought of what I was about to do fled. There was no thinking. No calculated logic. Just pure sensation.

Blood roared in my ears as he closed the last scrap of space between us. It wasn't fast. Not like in the movies. No swooping head. I watched his face come closer. His gaze moved from my mouth back to my eyes several times, studying me, watching my reaction. His hand touched my face, holding my cheek.

No one had ever done that. Well, not that I had a lot of reference, but the warm rasp of his palm on my face felt so very intimate. It made the moment seem so real, so powerful.

I jumped a little when his mouth finally settled over mine. As though the contact brought on an electrical shock or something. He pulled back and looked at me. For a moment, I thought it was over, that he was finished after that brush of both of our lips.

Then he pressed his mouth down on mine again and there was nothing tentative about it. His kiss was confident, demanding. Pure deliciousness. Still holding my face with one hand, his other moved to the small of my back, drawing me closer. His lips tasted mine, angling first one way and then another. As though he wanted to sample every possible direction. His tongue traced the seam of my lips and I shuddered, letting him inside my mouth. My hands gripped his shoulders, fingers curling around soft cotton, reveling in the warm solidness of him beneath the fabric.

Then it was over. Too soon. I staggered, losing my balance. I caught hold of my open car door with one hand, blinking like I had just woken from some sort of dream. I lifted my hands to my lips, brushing them, feeling them still warm from his lips. I focused on him, watching in astonishment as he turned and left me standing beside my vehicle.

Not another word. Not another look back.

Review:
First off, this book was on my TBR list, but honestly I was a little hesitant to start reading it. I love Sophie Jordan's historical writing, but was hesitant to read a New Adult novel by her, there is such a big difference in the writing and styles of those two genres.

My fears were so off base! Earlier this week I was emailed the trailer  posted above for Foreplay, after watching it I thought to myself this book really looks good, what have I been waiting for? I downloaded the ARC to my Kindle and on my lunch break started reading it. This book should come with a warning label: DO NOT START READING THIS UNTIL YOU HAVE TIME TO SIT DOWN AND FINISH IT ENTIRELY! I was late coming back from my lunch break, and may have put my kids to bed a half hour early last night so I could dive back in and finish this story.

I loved every single character in this book. Pepper is vulnerable, but also strong, driven and caring. Reece also has a troubled past and has trust issues, but he can't fight his attraction to her and he finds himself doing whatever he can to help her, even if it means the possibility of losing his heart in the process. The chemistry between these two is amazing.

This story does not contain the typical New Adult plotting that basically consists of sex every other page. Sophie Jordan does an incredible job of building sexual tension between two characters and pretty soon you can't wait for them to be together and once they are it was well worth the wait!

I loved the secondary characters, Sophie's college roommate Emerson is wild and fun and I can't wait for her story (Tease the 2nd book in the Ivy Chronicles is set for release March 2014). Logan, Reece's younger brother has to be a part of another story- he is too cute to be left out :) This book is definitely a stand alone, but I look hope to revisit with Reece and Pepper in future books within this series.

After finishing Foreplay I quickly browsed Sophie Jordan's website and discovered that she also has a young adult series, that now I need to check out as well, because she has proven to this blogger that she can write any genre :)!

Foreplay is a great upbeat New Adult story that will leave you smiling and thinking about it long after the last page is turned. This book gets 5 STARS from Save Your Money for Books, this entire series will be added to my TBR list- I can't wait for the next Ivy Chronicles book!

Click here to add Foreplay to your Goodreads Shelf!


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I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions expressed here are my own.

Until next time.. HAPPY READING! 

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Book Blast: The Darkest Part by Trisha Wolfe
SALE ALERT!

Halloween is this week, so how could I turn down a book blast request for a New Adult book with a ghost! :) Adding this to the TBR list! Current sale prices is .99! Go get it NOW!

The Darkest Part By Trisha Wolfe

Blurb:
Pressing the boundaries of both the psyche and the heart, Sam and Holden embark on a dangerous journey that will test the limits of love.

Sam Wintry’s life used to be almost perfect. She was engaged to her childhood best friend and high school sweetheart, Tyler Marks, planning an amazing cross-country honeymoon during her college break. But after a hit-and-run leaves her in ruin, she begins seeing Tyler’s fractured, ghostly presence, and her family believes she’s losing her mind. Not until she completes their journey, stopping along the way to scatter Tyler's remains, will Tyler be able cross over. Only...is Sam ready for him to leave her?

When the black sheep of the Marks' family, Holden Marks, returns to check on Tyler's case, Sam convinces him to give her his brother's ashes. Despite their shaky history, she needs him...plus, he owes it to Sam and his brother. What she doesn’t count on is Holden’s relentlessness to go on the trip.

On the road, Holden realizes just how unhinged Sam has become. Dealing with her psychosis forces him to confront his dark past, making it harder to keep secrets hidden that should remain buried. Especially from Sam, the only woman he’s ever loved. And as Sam starts to unravel the truth, she begins to question if the brother she's unwillingly falling for again is in an even darker place than her.

New Adult Contemporary coming this year.

What readers are saying about THE DARKEST PART...

"This is a great story that captures every element bringing it to a full circle of knowledge and love. A worthy read that is unique and entertaining, The Darkest Part is great." - Savannah @ BooksWithBite

"The Darkest Part is not your typical NA. It’s a powerful mentally and emotional story about true love and finding your way out of the darkness. Something that only a talented writer can pull off." - Nereyda @ Mostly YA Book Obsessed

"The Darkest Part is emotional, raw, dark, and passionate, and I felt each of those emotions with Sam and Holden through the entire novel." - Ellen @ Always YA At Heart





Available on Barnes & Noble and Amazon 
for only 99¢ from now until November 2nd!


Find the author...


Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Forgiving Lies by Molly McAdams
RELEASE DAY REVIEW!


Forgiving Lies
By Molly McAdams
368 Pages
Harper Collins Publishers

Blurb:
A matter of secrets…

Undercover cop Logan “Kash” Ryan can’t afford a distraction like his new neighbor Rachel Masters, even if she’s the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. To catch a serial killer, he needs to stay focused, yet all the can think about is the feisty, long-legged coed whose guarded nature intrigues him.

A matter of lies…

Deceived and hurt before, Rachel would rather be a single, crazy cat lady than trust another guy, especially a gorgeous, tattooed bad boy with a Harley, like Kash. But when his liquid steel eyes meet hers, it takes all of Rachel’s willpower to stop herself from exploring his hot body with her own.

A matter of love…

As much as they try to keep it platonic, the friction between them sparks an irresistible heat that soon consumes them. Can Kash keep Rachel’s heart and her life safe even as he risks his own? Will she be able to forgive his lies… or will she run when she discovers the dangerous truth?

My Review:
Molly McAdams is a gifted writer. I ‘ve read and loved all of her published books and was very excited to receive an ARC of Forgiving Lies for review. Following the trend from her previous books she emotionally invests you in her characters and will keep you on the edge of your seat, flipping the pages to quickly see what is coming next. I have yet to read a book of hers that I would describe as predictable! I never know what she is going to throw my way and I enjoy every second of waiting to see what will happen next.

Forgiving Lies is another homerun. This book gets 5 STARS from SYMFB and I think one of the best ways to enjoy this book is to AVOID SPOILERS you need to experience this book on your own! Take a chance on Kash and Rachel, it will be money well spent.

PS> I didn't love this cover- I think that this story deserves a sexier cover- but that is just my 2 cents :) 

Buy Links:

Add Forgiving Lies to Your Goodreads Shelf

Author Links:
http://www.mollysmcadams.com
https://www.facebook.com/MollyMcAdams
https://twitter.com/MollySMcAdams
Molly McAdams on Goodreads

I was given an ARC of Forgiving Lies in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review and all opinions expressed here are my own.

Until next time, HAPPY READING!

Off Chance by Sawyer Bennett
Review and Giveaway!


Blurb:
Flynn Caldwell has a hero complex and it's one of the reasons he joined the New York City Fire Department. He has spent his entire professional career trying to atone for that one person he failed to save. Because, if he can do that, then perhaps he can be worthy of love again.

She is seeking escape.

Rowan Page's life is nothing short of a disaster. Always immersed in trouble, she has only herself to depend on. She's determined to pull herself out of this mess and make something of her life, despite the hard years she has lived on then streets of New York.

Together. they have a chance to become complete.

Flynn and Rowan's world exists miles apart, but when a chance meeting brings them together, neither of them can deny the instant pull that connects them to each other. What starts as a tiny spark eventually flares into a fire so hot, it refuses to be extinguished.

For it to work, both of them will need to jump feet first into the flames to see where it takes them, despite the risk of being burned.

Review:
I have read Sawyer Bennett's entire Off Series to date and have yet to give any book less than 5 Stars and most all of them would get more than 5 if that were allowed. Off Chance, the 5th book in her Off Series continued this trend for me.

I had been anxiously looking forward to Flynn's story and within and hour of receiving the ARC I was half way into the story! I love a good hero, and what screams hero more than a hot NYC Fireman? A fireman, none the less, that rescues our heroine in the first few chapters! I was in love after the first page!

Flynn was love at first sight for m! I will admit that it did take me a little while to warm up to Rowan, and I will admit there were a few times I wanted to smack her and be like seriously, do you not see how awesome Flynn is? Rowan turns out to be pretty awesome herself and these two make an amazing pair. 

This book is full of passion, heat and a great story all woven into another beautiful package! Fans of this series also get the chance to revisit with some of the characters from the previous books in this series.  I got my Nix fix :)

This book, like all others in the series can be read independently, although I recommend reading the books in order. You really get to know the other characters and when they reappear in other books you will be happy to revisit with them again!

Best part of this book for me???? In the introduction Sawyer Bennett reveals that our #GETUSOFF campaign on Twitter worked! She is promising to write another book in this series. Initially, Off Chance was to be the last book in the series. I can't wait to read what is next.

Sawyer Bennett is another one of my auto-buy authors. If Sawyer writes it, I will buy it and know I am guaranteed an amazing read! 

What are you waiting for? GET OFF my blog and download this book! You won't be sorry! - WAIT, Don't go yet- Enter the Giveaway First!

Buy Links:

Add Off Chance to your Goodreads Shelf!


The fabulous Sawyer Bennet is going to give one of my blog followers a chance to win the Kindle or Nook version of one of my favorite books in this series Off the Record. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter.a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Info:
USA Today Best-Selling Author, Sawyer Bennett, is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all the stories that were floating around in her head. She is married to a mobster (well a market researcher) and they have two big furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report that she doesn't have many weaknesses, but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.

Author Links:
http://sawyerbennett.com
Facebook
@BennettBooks on Twitter
Sawyer Bennett on Goodreads

Save Your Money for Books was provided an ARC of Off Chance in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review and any opinions expressed here are my own.

Until next time,
HAPPY READING!

Monday, October 28, 2013

The Army Doctor's Christmas Collection
by Helen Scott Taylor
Review & Giveaway!

The Army Doctor's Christmas Collection
Including: 
The Army Doctor's Baby
The Army Doctor's Wedding
The Army Doctor's Christmas Baby
By: Helen Scott Taylor

Blurbs

The Army Doctor’s Baby

After his wife betrayed him, Major Radley Knight dedicated himself to becoming the best Army doctor he could be, dedicated himself to saving soldiers' lives. When he returns on leave from Afghanistan he is ready for a break. Instead he finds himself helping a young mother and her newborn baby. He falls in love with Olivia and her sweet baby boy and longs to spend the rest of his life caring for them. But Olivia and her baby belong to Radley's brother.

The Army Doctor’s Wedding
Army doctor, Major Cameron Knight, thrives on the danger of front-line Battlefield medicine. Throwing himself into saving the lives of injured servicemen keeps the demons from his past away. When he rescues charity worker, Alice Conway, and a tiny newborn baby, he longs for a second chance to do the right thing, even if it means marrying a woman he barely knows so they can take the orphan baby to England for surgery. The brave, beautiful young woman and the orphan baby steal his heart. He longs to make the marriage real, but being married to an army officer might do her more harm than good.
The Army Doctor’s Christmas Baby
After he loses his wife, army surgeon Colonel Sean Fabian protects his damaged heart by cutting women out of his life. He dedicates himself to his career and being a great dad to his twin babies. When he asks army nurse Kelly Grace to play nanny to his children over Christmas, he realizes how much he misses having a beautiful woman in his life and in his arms. Caring for Sean's adorable twin babies is Kelly's dream come true. She falls in love with the sweet little girls and their daddy, but she's hiding a devastating event from the past. If she can't trust Sean with her secret, how can she ever expect him to trust her with his bruised heart?

Review:
This box set was a wonderfully happy break from reality. All three story's are fast paced and heartwarming and will leave you with a smile. These books remind me of the oldie, but goodie Harlequin books my mom used to get in her books of the month club when I was a kid. Growing up, I loved to read and couldn't wait until she finished those books and deemed them- appropriate for my eyes!

The series is available as three separate books, or as a box set. They could be read as stand alone books, as each book has its own hero/heroine, and although some of the stories from book to book are intermingled the author does an excellent job of introducing other characters and their backstories well from book to book.


If I had to choose my favorite book of the three it would be The Army Doctor's Christmas Baby. Don't get me wrong- all three of these Army Doctor's are great, but Sean was the one that in my eyes would inspire love at first sight!


I hope that you pick up this series and enjoy them it as much as I did. ONLY 57 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS- so turn on some background holiday music, curl up in your favorite comfy chair with a glass of wine, or hot cocoa and enjoy this feel good series and get in the Christmas spirit! I give the series 4.5 Stars!

Buy Link: 
(As of the publication date of this blog post the entire collection is available on Amazon.com for only .99- this is a STEAL for three great book- price subject to change.)


As part of this wonderful book tour, Author Helen Scott Taylor will be giving one winner a $20 Amazon gift card! Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter for your chance to win!a Rafflecopter giveaway 


Author Info:

Helen Scott Taylor’s first novel, The Magic Knot, won the American Title contest in 2008, was a Golden Heart® finalist, and was chosen as one of Booklist’s top ten romances of 2009. Since then, she has published other novels, novellas, and short stories in both the UK and USA.


Her published works have been finalists in a number of contests including the Holt Medallion, the Lories, the Prism Contest, the Write Touch Award and the Maggie.

Helen lives in South West England near Plymouth in Devon between the windswept expanse of Dartmoor and the rocky Atlantic coast. As well as her wonderful long-suffering husband, she shares her home with a burmilla cat, an elderly shih tau, and her new baby-- a cute westie cross Bichon.

Author Links:

Click here to follow this Tasty Book Tour


SYMFB was given a copy of this book for review purposes only. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions expressed here are my own.

Until next time, Happy Reading!