Month: October 2014

He Learns All About LOVE AND OTHER UNKNOWN VARIABLES–Review and Giveaway

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Hi all! Today I’m sharing a contemporary YA romance from Shannon Lee Alexander. LOVE AND OTHER UNKNOWN VARIABLES left me a teary, ugly-cried-out mess and I relished every second of it.

love and other unknown variables 1600x2400About the book:
Charlie Hanson has a clear vision of his future. A senior at Brighton School of Mathematics and Science, he knows he’ll graduate, go to MIT, and inevitably discover solutions to the universe’s greatest unanswered questions. He’s that smart. But Charlie’s future blurs the moment he reaches out to touch the tattoo on a beautiful girl’s neck.

The future has never seemed very kind to Charlotte Finch, so she’s counting on the present. She’s not impressed by the strange boy at the donut shop—until she learns he’s a student at Brighton where her sister has just taken a job as the English teacher. With her encouragement, Charlie orchestrates the most effective prank campaign in Brighton history. But, in doing so, he puts his own future in jeopardy.

By the time he learns she’s ill—and that the pranks were a way to distract Ms. Finch from Charlotte’s illness—Charlotte’s gravitational pull is too great to overcome. Soon he must choose between the familiar formulas he’s always relied on or the girl he’s falling for (at far more than 32 feet per second squared).

My Review:
First, allow me to remind everyone that I AM A SCIENTIST. It’s my day job, and part of my psyche. I’m a fixer and a delver. I delve in order to fix. But, enough about me. Let’s find out about Charlie. Here’s what he thinks of himself:

Geeks are popular these days. At least, popular culture says geeks are popular. If nerds are hip, then it shouldn’t be hard for me to meet a girl.

Results from my personal experimentation in this realm would suggest pop culture is stupid. Or it could be that my methodology is flawed. When an experiment’s results are unexpected, the scientist must go back and look at the methods to determine the point at which an error occurred. I’m pretty sure I’m the error in each failed attempt at getting a girl’s attention. Scientifically, I should have removed myself from the equation, but instead, I kept changing the girl.

My inner (and outer) geek had palpitations. Charlie is such a self-deprecating, snarky, witty narrator. I couldn’t help getting sucked into his world. Especially when he encounters Charlotte. He’s drawn to her infinity-shaped tattoo and even moves her hair to read the word inscribed within the loop: hope. Yes, socially-awkward Charlie accosts a stranger in Krispy Kreme to rebut the logic of her tattoo.

“I wanted to apologize.”

“Oh,” she says. Her muscles relax. “Thanks.”

She smells amazing. At least I think it’s her and not the warm donut in her hand. Either way, I have to force myself to focus on what I was about to say.

“So I’m sorry.” Now, walk away. Go, Hanson. “But I’m afraid you’re mistaken about infinity. Infinity is quantifiable. Hope is immeasurable.”

Her expression shifts, like Tony Stark slipping into his Iron Man mask. She shakes her arm free from my slack grip. “So if it can’t be measured, I shouldn’t count on it? That’s bleak, man. Very bleak.”

She turns and pushes through the door.

Quite the auspicious meet-cute. Charlie does manage to salvage his lackluster first impression when he returns home from school to find Charlotte is his sister Becca’s new friend. And, he doesn’t want to mess that up because anxiety-riddled Becca has had bad luck with friends…

In fifteen years she’s had three. One moved away when she was eight. The other two were imaginary. I am calculating the statistical improbability of Becca choosing this girl–of all the girls in our town, this beautiful, tattooed girl–to be her friend.

And, as it turns out, Charlotte is the younger sister of Charlie’s new English teacher, Ms. Finch–sworn target of all the brainiac budding scientists at his private gifted math/science academy high school. When Charlotte learns Charlie is in her class, Charlotte prods Charlie and his buds to make class as difficult as possible for Ms. Finch. Because, well, that will mean her overachieving sister will get so distracted devising creative reading and writing projects that she won’t have time to worry about Charlotte’s failing health.

Yeah. Did I neglect to mention that Charlotte’s ill? Like REALLY REALLY ill? Big C ill? Because Charlotte actually neglects to mention it to Charlie–who is steadily falling arse-over-teakettle in swoon for her. Not that I blame her–her life is in turmoil and Charlie’s home, family and attention give her the normalcy she can’t find with her own family.

Lookit, I ain’t gonna lie:  this book is heartbreaking. It is a slow descent into the kind of literary agony that makes me count my blessings and kiss my kids good night–even my almost-legal teen who fights my authority like a starving dog over a bone. Ms. Finch is desperate to convince Charlotte to try just one more clinical trial. Charlotte is resisting–and Charlie’s caught between them. In the months that he spends with Charlotte he is thoroughly smitten, and thoroughly cowardly. He fears breaking up his sister’s friendship. He fears falling for a girl he (rightfully) believes is dying. He fears NOT loving a girl he loves. Is it really worse to never love than to love and lose, after all? He’s not sure.

All the Shakespeare and To Kill A Mockingbird he’s being force-fed in English are worming into Charlie’s brain, however, weakening his logical desire to avoid avoid avoid this doomed entanglement. And, his BF Greta has some great counsel:

“I’m scared,” I say to the carpet. Being left behind will break me. Of this, I am sure. “How am I supposed to fall in love with a girl when I know she’s going to break my heart?”

“Hey,” Greta says, her voice sharp enough to pull my eyes back up to hers. Maybe that wasn’t pity. “You’re stronger than you think. If you want to fall in love, then fall.”

So, he does. It’s a bit A WALK TO REMEMBER, but hell–that tore the heart right from my chest in the best worst way. And, I loved this tale. Charlie is terrifically human, and scientific, and viciously funny, and honest. You can guess the end, but you can’t imagine the journey. Like real life, this book is all about the journey. It is a trip worth taking.

Interested? You can find LOVE AND OTHER UNKNOWN VARIABLES on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo Books.

shannonAbout the Author
Shannon Lee Alexander is a wife, mother (of two kids and one yellow terrier named Harriet Potter). She is passionate about coffee, books, and cancer research. Math makes her break out in a sweat. Love and Other Unknown Variables is her debut novel.  She currently lives in Indianapolis with her family.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

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They Learned to Handle WHATEVER LIFE THROWS AT YOU–A Review and Giveaway

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Hi all! Today I’m sharing a contemporary Young Adult romance from best selling author Julie Cross. Released yesterday, WHATEVER LIFE THROWS AT YOU is a solid read for older teens.
Whatever Life Throws at You
About WHATEVER LIFE THROWS AT YOU:
Seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas is too young to remember her dad’s glory days as a pitcher for the Yankees. So when her father is offered a coaching position with the Kansas City Royals, Annie is intrigued to see the baseball side of her dad. Of course, knowing he’ll be a mentor to hot young rookie pitcher, Jason Brody, certainly makes it more enticing.

After an awkward first meeting with “Brody” involving very little clothing and a much-too-personal locker room interview, Annie’s convinced she knows Brody’s type: arrogant, self-involved, bossy. As her dad grows closer to the pitching phenom, the friction between Brody and Annie increases. But when opening day arrives and it looks like both her dad and Brody may lose their dream jobs, Annie steps up and offers support. She and Brody call a truce that grows into friendship—and beyond. Falling for a rising star who’s quickly reaching a level that involves rabid female fans is not what Annie would call smart, except suddenly she’s getting hints that maybe this crush isn’t one-sided after all. Could someone like Brody actually fall for a girl like her?

Excerpt:

He eyes me skeptically. “What kind of article?”

“It’s for Sports Illustrated,” I say without hesitation and then quickly realize that I don’t look nearly old enough to be a real reporter for a huge publication. “I’m an intern,” I add.

The skepticism falls from his face and he looks nervous, which gives me a boost of confidence. I walk closer and pull out the chair in front of the locker beside his, propping my feet up on the bench across from me. “Frank Steadman said you’d be willing to answer a few questions.”

His mouth falls open, and he looks down at his towel and then back at me. Water drips from his hair and off his dark shoulders. “Um…okay,” he says. “Mind if I get dressed first?”

I wave off his concerns, my face heating up, blowing my confident cover. But him getting dressed might allow enough time for Dad to return, and I’d rather not have to deal with that. I duck my head down, letting my hair hide my cheeks and flip open the first page of the notebook. “This will just take a minute… So, you’re nineteen? And you’re from Texas?”

“Chicago,” he corrects.

I had no idea where he was from but figured it sounded better if I pretended to know. I write down this information and then search my brain for some more questions. “Does the wind in Chicago affect your curveball? Do you throw into it or against it?”

He gives me a funny look. “I…well…I just throw toward home plate.”

My face gets even hotter. “Right, kidding. What’s your favorite color?”

“Orange.”

I take my time writing orange in really big loopy cursive while I think of my next question. “What are your opinions on sushi?”

His forehead wrinkles like I’ve just asked him to publicly declare a political party. “Raw fish and seaweed? I think it’s best eaten while stranded on a desert island with no other options.”

“Very diplomatic.” I scribble down his answer. “How many strikes have you thrown in your career?”

“Don’t know,” he says. “Do people actually count that stuff? Before the majors?”

“Some of them do,” I say, though I have no idea. “If you could be any magical creature in the Harry Potter series, which would you choose?”

“You said this is for Sports Illustrated, right?”

“Yeees, But it’s the…kids’ edition.”

“Oh, right.” He scratches the back of his head. “I guess maybe one of those elves.”

“A house elf? Seriously? They’re slaves.” I shake my head. “Why would you want to be an enslaved elf? They can’t even wear clothes.”

He grips his towel tighter and releases a frustrated breath. “Fine, I’ll choose an owl. That’s what I’d want to be.”

I snort back a laugh and drop my eyes to the page again.

“What? What the hell’s wrong with being an owl? They’re smart, they know geography and shit like that.”

“Owls in real life are actually pretty stupid. But no big deal, I’ll just relay that message on to the children of America. Jason Brody, temporary Royals pitcher, wants to be an owl when he grows up because they know geography and shit like that.”

Okay, I’m getting way too into this fake reporter role.

“Who says this is temporary?” he snaps.

“Your two-way contract.” Isn’t that how Dad explained it? He plays a few games then goes back to Triple-A, all without signing a real major league contract.

He yanks a pair of jeans from his locker and then grabs a bundled up orange T-shirt. “Well, I plan on kicking some ass on Opening Day and making this a permanent gig.”

“I think you need a reality check,” I say. “One game isn’t going to be enough–”

“Annie, what the hell are you doing?”

I leap off the bench and turn around to face Dad and Frank standing about five feet from me. “Introducing myself to your new pitcher.”

“Brody, what are you doing here, son?” Frank asks. “We’re off today.”

“Just getting in some cardio and weights.” His gaze darts from me to Dad to Frank. “I was just finishing up this interview for Sports Illustrated. The kids’ edition.”

“Well, we won’t keep you from getting your clothes back on, then,” Frank says, like he’s trying not to laugh. “And just for future reference, all interviews will go through the team’s publicity department so no one will be wandering in here, surprising you. Savannah will meet with you tomorrow to discuss publicity.”

Dad moves forward and extends a hand to Jason Brody. “Jim Lucas, nice to meet you, son. I’ve seen your spring training videos. You’ve got some real talent. I’m looking forward to working with you.”

Brody shakes Dad’s hand, his eyes still on me.

“And this is my daughter Annie,” Dad adds.

Brody glares at me. “Let me guess—you don’t work for Sports Illustrated?”

My Review:
This is a mature YA read due to sexual content that is accurate, age-appropriate, and handled with tact.

Annie is a high school junior whose father was a hot-shot pitching prospect 17 years ago. He was signed to the Yankees, played one game and was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, never returning to the game as a player. Now, he’s being recruited by a longtime baseball friend to be a pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals. It’s a long way from Arizona where Annie, her dad and her senile Grams life a quiet life.

Annie likes it quiet, and hates when her flighty mother drops in–as she tends to do every couple years, or so. So, she urges her dad to make the move, and NOT reveal their new address to his estranged wife.

Annie’s dad’s main job is to refine a hot-shot prospect, Jason Brody, who has a great arm, and a bad history. He’s nineteen, an ex-con? (Sorta) Anywho, Annie and Jason spend a lot of time together, and Annie develops the teensiest mega-crush on the pitcher. But, she can’t act on it. First, she’s 17, he’s 19. Second, if anything goes wrong with Jason, her dad’s out of a job. Third, does it matter? You know she’s going to make a play for him…

Here’s the thing, this isn’t a flitty teen romance. It gets to the seemy underside of pro sports. Annie’s new BFF Lenny is the daughter of First Base. He’s a playa, and his famiy is polished yet fragile. Lenny’s a smart girl, but likes to cut loose, bringing Annie along for the ride.

Jason’s a decent guy, even if he’s attracted to a high school girl. Actually, one thing he really lacks in his life, a family connection, is something that he really admires in the bond between Annie and her dad. He’s infatuated with the idea of being a part of a family again, ever since his mother disowned him.

I really enjoyed the playfulness, and the introspection. Annie is a confident character, not a hot mess. She has goals–and is extremely competitive–yet she is human. She sees the heartbreak of a teammate and makes a choice to help someone else, instead of herself. She is mature, having practically raised herself with no mom around. And, she is fierce in her love for both family, and Jason.

The book unfolds over the course of the baseball season–roughly five months. The feelings develop and are expressed in terms of months, not weeks, so we don’t get whiplash from INSTALOVE, which is grand. Again, the characters do become intimate. In careful stages. With lots and lots of verbal communication. They make responsible, adult decisions and though Annie’s dad goes a tiny bit (read: whole lot) ballistic, life works out well for all the characters. In a way that doesn’t compromise the MC’s ideals.

Yes, there are curveballs. Yes, sometimes Annie has to perform a suicide squeeze when she wants to hit a dinger. Yes, Jason is panty-melting hot–and Annie’s not sure if he’s capable of reading her signs. The baseball metaphors are sprinkled throughout the book like poppy seeds on a Chicago style hotdog bun, and it worked for me. (side note: this reviewer played 10 seasons of fast pitch softball and spent her youth, and adulthood, cheering on the White Sox.) I appreciated the appropriate language of the game, and how skillfully the story enfolded all aspects of baseball in a way a non-fan could still understand.

A big hit, for me. I received an ARC via NetGalley.

Interested? You can find WHATEVER LIFE THROWS AT YOU on WHATEVER LIFE THROWS AT YOU Goodreads, Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, and Powell’s Books.

Julie Cross Author PhotoJulie Cross Bio:
Julie Cross lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three children. She’s a former gymnast and longtime gymnastics fan, coach, and former gymnastics program director with the YMCA. She’s a lover of books, devouring several novels a week, especially in the young adult and new adult genres. Outside of her reading and writing credentials, Julie is a committed—but not talented—long-distance runner, creator of imaginary beach vacations, Midwest bipolar-weather survivor, and expired CPR certification card holder, as well as a ponytail and gym-shoe addict.

Check out Julie online on her blog, Facebook page, Twitter feed, on Goodreads.

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Happy Book Birthday To BURYING WATER by KA Tucker! (And Giveaway!!)

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Hi there! Today I’m joining the Release Day Launch for K.A. Tucker’s BURYING WATER! BURYING WATER is a New Adult Romantic Suspense novel, published by Simon & Schuster and it will blow. You. Away! I really enjoyed her Ten Tiny Breaths, so I’m looking forward to this new release!
Burying Water

About BURYING WATER:

The top-selling, beloved indie author of Ten Tiny Breaths returns with a new romance about a young woman who loses her memory—and the man who knows that the only way to protect her is to stay away.

Left for dead in the fields of rural Oregon, a young woman defies all odds and survives—but she awakens with no idea who she is, or what happened to her. Refusing to answer to “Jane Doe” for another day, the woman renames herself “Water” for the tiny, hidden marking on her body—the only clue to her past. Taken in by old Ginny Fitzgerald, a crotchety but kind lady living on a nearby horse farm, Water slowly begins building a new life. But as she attempts to piece together the fleeting slivers of her memory, more questions emerge: Who is the next-door neighbor, quietly toiling under the hood of his Barracuda? Why won’t Ginny let him step foot on her property? And why does Water feel she recognizes him?

Twenty-four-year-old Jesse Welles doesn’t know how long it will be before Water gets her memory back. For her sake, Jesse hopes the answer is never. He knows that she’ll stay so much safer—and happier—that way. And that’s why, as hard as it is, he needs to keep his distance. Because getting too close could flood her with realities better left buried.

The trouble is, water always seems to find its way to the surface.

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BURYING WATER Excerpt:
Prologue: Jesse Now.

This can’t be real . . . This can’t be real . . . This can’t be real . . .

The words cycle round and round in my mind like the wheels on my speeding ’Cuda as its ass-end slips and slides over the gravel and ice. This car is hard to handle on the best of days, built front-heavy and overloaded with horsepower. I’m going to put myself into one of these damn trees if I don’t slow down.

I jam my foot against the gas pedal.

I can’t slow down now.

Not until I know that Boone was wrong about what he claims to have overheard. His Russian is mediocre at best. I’ll give anything for him to be wrong about this.

My gut clenches as my car skids around another turn, the cone shape of Black Butte looming like a monstrous shadow ahead of me in the pre-dawn light. The snowy tire tracks framed by my headlights might not even be the right ones, but they’re wide like Viktor’s Hummer and they’re sure as hell the only ones down this old, deserted logging road. No one comes out here in January.

The line of trees marking the dead end comes up on me before I expect it. I slam on my brakes, sending my car sliding sideways toward the old totem pole. It’s still sliding when I cut the rumbling engine, throw open the door, and jump out, fumbling with my flashlight. It takes three hard presses with my shaking hands to get the light to hold.

I begin searching the ground. The mess of tread marks tells me that someone pulled a U-turn. The footprints tell me that more than one person got out. And when I see the half-finished cigarette butt with that weird alphabet on the filter, I know Boone wasn’t wrong.

“Alex!” My echo answers once . . . twice . . . before the vast wilderness swallows up my desperate cry. With frantic passes of my flashlight, my knuckles white against its body, I search the area until I spot the sets of footprints that lead off the old, narrow road and into the trees.

Frigid fingers curl around my heart.

Darting back to my car, I snatch the old red-and-blue plaid wool blanket that she loves so much from the backseat. Ice-cold snow packs into the sides of my sneakers as I chase the trail past the line of trees and into the barren field ahead, my blood rushing through my ears the only sound I process.

The only sign of life.

Raw fear numbs my senses, the Pacific Northwest winter numbs my body, but I push forward because if . . .

The beam of light passes over a still form lying facedown in the snow. I’d recognize that pink coat and platinum-blond hair of hers anywhere; the sparkly blue dress that she hates so much looks like a heap of sapphires against a white canvas.

My heart freezes.

“Alex.” It’s barely a whisper. I’m unable to produce more, my lungs giving up on me. I run, stumbling through the foot of snow until I’m on my knees and crawling forward to close the distance. A distance of no more than ten feet and yet one that seems like miles.

There’s no mistaking the spray of crimson freckling the snow around her head. Or that most of her long hair is now dark and matted. Or that her silver stockings are torn and stained red, and a pool of blood has formed where her dress barely covers her thighs. Plenty of footprints mark the ground around her. He must have been here for a while.

I know that there are rules to follow, steps to make sure that I don’t cause her further harm. But I ignore them because the sinking feeling in my stomach tells me I can’t possibly hurt her more than he already has. I nestle her head with one hand while I slide the other under her shoulder. I roll her over.

Cold shock knocks the wind out of me.

I’ve never seen anybody look like this.

I scoop her limp body into my arms, cradling the once beautiful face that I’ve seen in every light—rage to ecstasy and the full gamut in between—yet is now unrecognizable. Placing two blood-coated fingers over her throat, I wait. Nothing.

A light pinch against her lifeless wrist. Nothing.

Maybe a pulse does exist but it’s hidden, masked by my own racing one.

Then again, by the look of her, likely not.

One . . . two . . . three . . . plump, serene snowflakes begin floating down from the unseen sky above. Soon, they will converge and cover the tracks, the blood. The evidence. Mother Nature’s own blanket to hide the unsightly blemish in her yard.

“I’m so sorry.” I don’t try to restrain the hot tears as they roll down my cheeks to land on her mangled lips—lips I had stolen plenty of kisses from, back when I was too stupid to realize how dangerous that really was. This is my fault. She had warned me. If I had just listened, had stayed away from her, had not told her how I felt . . .

. . . had I not fallen wildly in love with her.

I lean down to steal a kiss even now, the coppery taste of her blood mixing with my salty tears. “I’m so damn sorry. I should never have even looked your way,” I manage to get out around my sobs, tucking the blanket she loved to curl up in over her.

An almost inaudible gasp slips out. A slight breeze against my mouth more than anything else.

My lungs freeze, my eyes glued to her, afraid to hope. “Alex?” Is it possible?

A moment later, a second gasp—a wet, rattling sound—escapes.

She’s not dead.

Not yet, anyway.

Interested? You can find BURYING WATER at Amazon, Barnes & Noble , iBooks, Kobo, and IndieBound.

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Author PhotoAbout K.A. Tucker:
Born in small-town Ontario, K.A. Tucker published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader, and currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

You can catch up with K.A. on her website, Twitter, Facebook page, find BURYING WATER on Goodreads, find KA on Goodreads, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram.

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She Doesn’t Let Life BEAT Her Down–Review and Giveaway

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a new release from Amity Cross. BEAT is a new-adult fighter romance that doesn’t pull any punches.


About the book:
Renee “Ren” Miller was five when her Dad left to go to the shops and never came back. Left to grow up with a cancer riddled mother, things have never been easy for a teenager who had to be wise beyond her years. Then one day they lose the battle and she’s all alone.

Now twenty-two, Ren reluctantly goes to find her estranged father. He owns the down and out boxing studio, Beat, and Ren finds herself drawn to the ring. She thrives on learning a new way of fighting a life that kept kicking her down…instead of struggling against the current, she kicks it right between the legs.

Then one day, Ash Fuller, her Dad’s star fighter comes back to town. Mysterious, handsome… Dangerous… Everything Ren doesn’t need.

But he’s got other ideas… …and so does she.

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Excerpt:

My fist slammed into the heavy leather bag, the impact jolting up my arm and absorbing into my torso.

The only light was from the back row of fluorescents I’d switched on over the ring. It was dark, murky and helped me pretend I was someplace else. The drama from the daylight hours was gone and it was just me and the darkness. Exactly the way I liked it.

I began another set of punches, hair sticking to the sweat beading across the back of my neck. Structure. This was the only thing that was predictable in my life and I needed predictable.

Stance. Guard. Punch. Guard. Repeat.

There was a loud cough behind me and I spun on my heel, heart thumping in my chest, and my gaze collided with Ash’s.

“Fuck,” I exclaimed, holding a hand over my heart. “Don’t fucking do that, Ash.” Typical. The creeper was being all creeper again.

“What are you doing?” He stared at me, his gaze hovering a little too long on my bare midriff.

I steadied the bag with one hand, taking deep breaths. “What does it look like?”

“I’ve never seen…” He trailed off and I wondered if I’d finally made the Golden Boy lost for words.

I turned my back so I didn’t have to look at him. “What? A woman in a sports bra? Highly doubt it.” I rolled my eyes and wiped my forehead with the back of my arm. Even though I couldn’t see, I felt his gaze burning into my skin and I suppressed the urge to squeeze my thighs together. Infuriating, self-absorbed, arrogant…

My Review:
Renee’s had a tough life–abandoned as a child by a two-timing father, she helped to care for her ill mother until the struggle was lost. Now, she’s reconnected to her dad–fulfilling her mum’s dying wish, only to find she’s still the black stain on his life. He’d found himself a prettier wife and had a prettier daughter long before he walked out on them.

He’s not heartless, however. Knowing Ren is destitute her dad offers up the spare bedroom at his trianing club. It’s little more than a storage closet with a bed, but (literally) beggars can’t be choosers and Ren accepts. Of course it puts Ren in daily contact not only with her father, but with her preening half-sister, just a year younger than Ren. And, also with some serious beefcake fighters training for the Australian Ultimate Fighter circuit.

Ren has a lot of wounds. She’s heartsick with loss and feels unwanted in general–so she takes up training in the gym as it’s the only outlet she has available. She attends the beginner’s fighting courses, and excels, keeping her strength training for the evenings when she’s alone. One night she’s startled by an intruder int he gym, but it’s just a former trainee–Ash, the “golden boy” of her father’s career. He’d been banned from the league four years ago and disappeared, but now he’s back and inserting himself into the scene.

And Ren’s fantasies.

These two have quite the awkward dance. Ash doesn’t want to mess around with his coach’s daughter, but he’s lonely, and attracted. Ren, always unwanted, hates the attention Ash gives Monica. She trains harder and harder, never realizing that she’s only endearing herself more tot he taciturn man who comes in for his midnight sparring sessions looking like he just got beat up.

It does get hot and heavy, but it also gets bloody, and illegal once Ren discovers where Ash earns his cash–an illegal fighting club. But does, this beat Ren off? Nope. Suit the gal up, coach. She’s ready to play.

The book moves along very nicely. Ren is a good character. For all that she’s had to endure, she bears her crosses without self-pity or angst. Even with all the hoopla, it’s easy to see how her father becomes interested, and even makes overtures to help–more than he had at the beginning, any how. Ren makes friends–for pretty much the first time in her life. And she finds attraction and affection based on her own merit. I really liked her story. Ash begins as a mystery, but we learn a lot about him–not how he got banned for professional boxing, per se, but what he was doing while everyone thought he was training in Thailand.

The story is told in Australian English, which was a small learning curve for this American Anglophile, but fun. I’m always game for a new dialect. The smexytimes were well-written and not too sloppy, with a good build-up; no instalove here. BEAT ends with a (small) cliffhanger, but it’s not enough to detract from the story.

Interested? You can find BEAT on Goodreads, AMAZON (US / UK / AU),  KOBO, B&N, and iTUNES. The second book in this series, PULSE, will be out soon.

About the Author:
Amity Cross isn’t my real name. That’s no secret. I didn’t want my Mum and my workplace to find out I wrote about doodles and tongue-in-cheek sexual innuendo.I live in a leafy suburb of Melbourne writing about screwed up relationships and kick ass female leads that don’t take s**t lying down.

Insert more pretentious c**p here.

You can catch up with Amity on Facebook, twitter, her Goodreads profile and website.

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It’s a Rave of FIXED Faves! And Giveaway

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Hi all! I’ve previously professed my love of the Fixed trilogy from Laurelin Paige. First I reviewed FIXED ON YOU, and then I reviewed HUDSON. Today, I’m just fangirling with a few choice quotes from the four book series. If you like strong male leads and plausibly flawed female leads, this series might be just for you.

These books are contemporary romance–and meant for mature readers…

Fixed on You (Fixed, #1)From FIXED ON YOU…

It all began with an indecent proposal:

“I’d like to pay you to help me with a problem. I believe you’d be perfect for the job.”

The whole conversation had my head spinning, but he had my attention. “You win. My curiosity is piqued. What’s the job?”

“I need you to break up an engagement.”

I coughed, wondering if I’d heard him correctly, knowing I’d had. “Um, what? Whose?”

Hudson leaned back, his dazzling gray eyes flickering in the strobe lights. “Mine.”

Soon, it became much more.

But it wasn’t Stacy undoing my corset–it was Hudson.

He met my eyes, pinning my reflection with a greedy stare. Slowly, without breaking his gaze, he continued loosening the laces of my bodice.

I didn’t stop him. He didn’t ask, and I didn’t stop him.

When he’d finished loosening my gown, his hands traveled to the spaghetti straps at my shoulders. I watched as he moved the straps over the curve of my bones and down my arms. The dress fell to the floor, leaving me in nothing but black strappy heels and my red thong.

Alayna’s more than a match for Hudson; she’s a match for his bitter mother:

Sophia, on the other hand, made no indication that she even heard. “Tell me, Alayna–were you first attracted to my son because of his money or his name?”

Pissed didn’t even describe how I felt. I was seething, but still in control. Without skipping a beat, I wrapped my arm around Hudson’s and answered,. “Neither. I was attracted to him because he’s hot. Though I stayed with him because he’s fucking awesome in bed.”

And we get to the heart of the matter…

He let out a brief laugh, as if he recognized his own vulnerability and it amused him or confounded him. “I’m drawn to you, Alayna. Not because I want to hurt you or make you feel a certain way, but because you’re beautiful and sexy and smart and, yes, a little crazy, maybe, but you’re not broken. And that makes me hopeful. For me.”

Found in You (Fixed, #2)FOUND IN YOU brings a deeper intimacy. Hudson and Alayna have decided to embark on a real relationship. It steams. See..

Not only did his expression show an absence of fear, it showed hunger, desire. Almost as though my paranoia was a turn-on.

“You have me,” I whispered.

He took the sash from my hands and pulled the knot free. “I want you right now.” His hand wrapped around my breast, squeezing as his thumb flicked across my nipple.

“Oh, you want me, want me.”

“Uh-huh.” He shifted me so my backside was against the table. Flattening his palm between my breasts, he pushed me down; the surface of the table met hard with my backside and a brief flash of worry about spilling his coffee and breaking the cosmetic bottles entered my mind.

“And I want you now.”

Fuck the coffee. Let it spill.

And things get real serious. Fast.

It was Hudson who drew the attention of the table. “I could have a child with Alayna.”

I nearly choked on the bite of food in my mouth. Sure, I’d been thinking that Hudson could have a kid, but it hadn’t for a moment crossed my mind he would have on with me.

Okay, maybe it had crossed my mind for a moment. But a small one. Certainly it wasn’t a thought I’d share out loud.

But when Hudson said it, had said it out loud like that to everyone, a strange warmth spread through my chest. It wasn’t the low, deep burn of desire, but something different. Something related to the love I felt for the man, mixed with a dash of hope.

Life is complicated, however–exes and stalkers and secrets, oh my!–which makes for a good story.

FOREVER WITH YOUForever with You (Fixed, #3) gets deeper into the emotional problems both Alayna and Hudson have–and there’s a lot of slowing down to do. Or not…

“I’m ready to give you everything I have, to make myself vulnerable, just like you made yourself vulnerable to me time after time.”

“No prenup? No I definitely know you’re crazy.” And I was crazy for simply continuing this conversation.

“I am crazy. Crazy without you in my life.” He pushed his hands through his hair. “You’re the only one who’s ever made me better. And now you have me by the balls, Alayna. Because if you say no, if you turn me away, then I’ve lost everything that means anything in my pathetic excuse for a life. But if you say yes, I have to be the one to trust you–you could scam me if you wanted to. You could simply marry me now, divorce me later and half of all I have would be yours.”

As if his money meant anything to me. “I have know interest in your–”

He cut me off. “I know. I know that you would never take advantage of my like that. But the point is you could.”

And, that my friends, is how Hudson doesn’t win the girl.

He waited a beat, but then he did step back and I slid past, careful not to touch him, though every cell in my body yearned to do just that.

I managed to hold my head high as I walked away from him, even when he called after me. “I’m never giving up, Alayna. I’ll prove myself. You’ll see.”

Fear not! The book is an HEA. For reals. Hudson perseveres. And we’re all super happy for it.

HUDSONHudson (Fixed, #4), in his own book, interweaves his history as a manipulative SOB and his adult recovery. It really brought home the lack of love Hudson felt throughout his childhood, and also the overwhelming experience it was for him to find true affection for, and from, Alayna.

He was a bit awkward, getting romance advice from his (then) teenaged sister, Mirabelle.

“Let’s see, women love the artsy, creative types of attention. Like write her a poem or draw her portrait.”

I blinked. I wasn’t artsy in the least. “Go on.”

“Then there’s the easy stuff–sending flowers, buying jewelry, giving gifts—”

I typed as she talked.

“But those are really lame if you don’t personalize them.”

I looked up from my screen. “What do you mean by personalize.”

“Don’t just give roses. Those are boring. Give flowers that you know she’ll like or mean something to her. The jewelry should be unique to her, or something she’s admired.”

God, it sounded like romanticizing was going to require more detailed investigation than I’d expected.

By the time Hudson encountered Alayna, he’d perfected his wooing skills. He knew how to win the girl, how to break up a relationship, how to sabotage a marriage, but he didn’t know how to love. Or, did he?

I’ve seen love deteriorate before. I’ve watched it unravel before my eyes. This is something I know. It’s the thing I’ve always been good at–destroying the fairytale of happily ever after.

Love doesn’t bear all, Love doesn’t endure. Love ends. It always, always ends.

For all that I’ve destroyed–in my past, with Celia, here today with Alayna–my curse is that my love alone goes on. My whole life I was empty. Now I’m full. Overflowing with love and anguish. Hers and mine.

And does he simmer in anguish. A while. He blunders through a proposal that doesn’t impress–though it does crack through to Alayna’s heart–but from that ashy demise the phoenix of Hudson’s love is reborn. And he woos with abandon.

I fall to my knee. “I realized something about the last time I asked this.” I haven’t prepared anything, but the words come easily. “I did it wrong. First, I hadn’t got a ring, and second, I should have gotten on one knee. But more importantly, I didn’t give you the right thing. I offered you everything I had, thinking that was the way to win your heart. That wasn’t what you wanted at all. The only thing you asked for, the only thing I would never give you, was me.”

She tries to swallow back a gasp, but it comes out anyway.

“But now I do.” I throw my arms open wide. “Here I am. precious. I give myself freely. All of me. No more walls or secrets or games or lies. I give you all of me, honestly. For forever, if you’ll take it.”

And people wonder why I swoon for these books? They rocked me. They are a sexy emotional roller coaster.

Interested? You can pick up the FIXED series ($3.99), or the single book FIXED ON YOU ($2.99), on Goodreads, Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Or maybe even at Target by now…the series is getting pretty popular.

You can find HUDSON on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author:

NY Times & USA Today Bestselling author Laurelin Paige is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Mad Men and the Walking Dead, or dreaming of Adam Levine. She is represented by Bob Diforio of D4EO Literary Agency.

You can find Laurelin online on Goodreads, her blog, twitter and Facebook.

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Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends.
Inkslinger

Will you Love THE UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR as Much as I Did? #Doubtful–Review and Giveaway!

Understatement BannerHi all! Today I’m celebrating the release of one of my absolutely fave new M/M romances: UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR. This book had all the feels I dream of in a love story–and is especially poignant in light of the new revelations of gay players in the big leagues of sports.

Understatment coverAbout the book:
What happened in high school stayed in high school. Until now.
Five years ago, Michael Graham betrayed the only person who ever really knew him. Since then, he’s made an art of hiding his sexual orientation from everyone. Including himself.

So it’s a shock when his past strolls right into the Harkness College locker room, sporting a bag of hockey gear and the same slow smile that had always rendered Graham defenseless. For Graham, there is only one possible reaction: total, debilitating panic. With one loose word, the team’s new left wing could destroy Graham’s life as he knows it.

John Rikker is stuck being the new guy. Again. And it’s worse than usual, because the media has latched onto the story of the only “out” player in Division One hockey. As the satellite trucks line the sidewalk outside the rink, his new teammates are not amused.

And one player in particular looks sick every time he enters the room.

Rikker didn’t exactly expect a warm welcome from Graham. But the guy won’t even meet his eyes. From the looks of it, his former… best friend / boyfriend / whatever isn’t doing so well. He drinks too much and can’t focus during practice.

Either the two loneliest guys on the team will self destruct from all the new pressures in their lives, or they can navigate the pain to find a way back to one another. To say that it won’t be easy is the Understatement of the Year.

Warning: unlike the other books in this series, this heartbreaking love story is about two guys. Contains sexual situations, dance music, snarky t-shirts and a poker-playing grandmother.

My Review:
K. So. Sometimes a book just fills my head and my heart and makes songs on the radio speak to me in a new way because I’m thinking of this story.

That’s is exactly how I felt about this book.
First, I was sure that Rikker and Graham were going to be buried by their FLAWS

They seriously made me feel the hole in my soul. Rikker is a gay athlete–he survived a hate beating as a teen, and being shipped off to his grandmother’s care after coming out, but reuniting with his first love, Graham, might just kill him. Five years have passed and, while Rikker’s physical wounds have healed, he’s still emotionally scarred by Graham’s abandonment.

He’s a great hockey player and a newly transferred student at Harkness ready to hit the ice. Despite being a transfer, Rikker is not subject to a yearlong suspension of play–because his previous coach violated the non-discrimination clause kicked him off the team when he was outed.

In order to avoid all the drama, Rikker reveals his orientation at the outset, and is subject to casual and overt homophobia–as well as some GREAT teammate support. Except, the one teammate he wishes to be there for him, well, won’t: Graham.

Graham is so deep in the closet he might be able to sit tea with Mr. Tumnus. He is attracted to men, and denies this at every turn. He seeks out women, always under the influence of alcohol. To hear his thoughts, when experiencing the slights and slams of Rikker–both direct and indirect only cements in Graham’s head what a coward he is.

People like Big-D have it wrong. They think that the gay guy is going to be the one who’s slowly soaping up his dick, watching you shampoo. But that’s not how it works in a varsity locker room on planet Earth. The gay guy is the one who discreetly goes about his business, showering quickly and then getting the hell out of there. He puts his underwear on when his skin is still damp, even though it will stick up his ass crack for the rest of the night.
He isn’t staring at you, and he’d rather eat broken glass than sport some wood in the locker room.

Still, Graham simmers with attraction for Rikker, and uses lots (and LOTS) of alcohol to quell it. Rikker himself can’t let go of the affection he held for his once best friend (and first love) even as he expects the taciturn Graham hates him, now. Imagine his surprised delight when Graham lets his defense shields slip…only to have them nearly discovered.

With shaking hands, he stumbled into his jeans.

I pulled the blanket up from the foot of the bed, mostly covering myself. And I watched a freaked-out Graham prepare for a hasty exit from my room. I could almost hear the worry loop trailing around inside his head. Never should have done that. Never should have done that.

Whatever. If he wanted to freak out and run away after hooking up with me, that was his loss. That’s what I was going to tell myself, anyway. What’s one more bruise on a battered heart? Mine probably already looked like a veteran NHL player’s face.

Before the door closed on him, he said one word to me. “Sorry.”

I was tired of hearing that word from him.

On the campus Rikker is mostly a pariah. He keeps to himself, attending classes and team events/practices only. He eats alone, and lives in a single room in a dorm filled with foreign students to whom he cannot relate. He longs for connection, and after one drunken hook-up he reaches out for Graham again, and Graham reaches back–only when it’s a clandestine meeting, however. And Rikker accepts this–because, well…

In the dark, he studied me. “Rik,” he whispered. “I had fun tonight.”
“Me too, G.”

He moved then, hitching across the seat to reach me. “One more,” he breathed. “For old time’s sake.” Then he turned my face toward his, capturing my mouth in a kiss.

Stupid or not, I just went with it. If you stripped away all the confusion and the old heartaches, I’d had an almost perfect day. And this right here was pretty much all I’d ever wanted from Graham. I wanted his friendship, and then I wanted him to reach for me at the end of the night. So for those few minutes, I had everything.

Yeah. I got super melty over this book. The first loves. The separations. The reconnection and healing of woulds long scabbed over. The comic relief! Oh, I think we all needs a “Skippy” in our lives. He’s Rikker’s effeminate ex who’s known for spouting his opinion, getting his way, and wearing t-shirts with outrageous slogans like Power Bottoms for Jesus. I loved him. And, of course there’s a girl with a Graham-crush who’s gonna get hurt..a bit. But, she takes it all well.

Hearing Milky Chance croon “I want you by my side/ so that I never feel alone again” and lament the lost years of affection due to the actions of others…well, I was glad Rikker and Graham got a Stolen Dance with each other…

The anxiety factor is tremendous. I couldn’t fault Graham for his closet-case antics. He’d seen the worst of homophobia up close and personal, and never recovered. Rikker helped Graham to see the better side of coming out–in some ways. It wasn’t easy for Rikker by any stretch. The media attention wasn’t pleasant, and Graham certainly didn’t want such a spotlight on his love life.

By the end, I swear, I was hearing OneRepublic banging their drums in my brain and I was drinking the sweet, sweet nectar of a satisfying read where the Love [never] Runs Out.

This was a fave book for me–gay, straight, erotic, whatever. It’s a powerful read and handles homophobia, closet-cases, unintentional outing, isolation, and sports in such a commanding way. There is little sex, but when it’s there it is amazingly rendered in the emotional context of the story. I hoped so hard for these two men to find their path together, and I think the arrangement they contrive at the end is more HEA than Happy For Now. (Well, I HOPE it is!)

Interested? You can find THE UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR on AMAZON, B&N KOBO, and iBOOKS. It is the third book in the Ivy Years series, but it reads as a standalone.

Previous books in the series:

#1 The Year We Fell Down (March 2014)

#2 The Year We Hid Away (June 2014)

#2.5 Blonde Date (July 2014)

#3 The Understatement of the Year (October 1st, 2014)

About the author:
Sarina Bowen makes her home in the Green Mountains of Vermont, where she lives with her family, eight chickens and a large pile of skis and hockey equipment. She is a graduate of Yale University. You can catch up with Sarina online via Email, her website, Twitter, and Facebook.

***GIVEAWAY***
Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win
a signed copy of one IVY YEARS book (4 winners, win choice)
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

Inkslinger

Get ready for Halloween with SEERS OF LIGHT–A Review

Hi all! It’s OCTOBER, and you may (or may not) know that my fave holiday of the year is Halloween. Yup. For realz, and all. I get such a kick out of the dress-up thing. So, I make a point to feature as many paranormal books as I can in celebration. Today, it’s SEERS OF LIGHT, the first book in the Light Series by Jen deLucy.

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about the book:
Lillian Hunt has never truly lived. Always sensing more to the world than is easily perceived, she fears that her instincts are stubborn flights of fancy, or worse, mental instability. But some things-disappearing strangers, tangible dreams, and visits from malevolent creatures-cannot be ignored.

Before it’s too late, Lillian is ripped from the only existence she’s ever known and thrust into a reality that she always suspected, but could scarcely believe. She must learn the truth about who she is, the powerful beings that wish to destroy her, and the two men who would die to protect her.

Jennifer DeLucy has created a unique, enchanting tale of destiny and the ageless power of love in her debut novel, Seers of Light. DeLucy’s novel charms readers with quirky characters, while sketching a haunting portrait of one woman’s journey on the path of the supernaturally gifted. But be prepared. Once you’ve entered the world of Seers, you will never be the same.

My Review:
Lily is a 28 y/o single woman working in her grandparents’ convenience store when she begins to have visions. They are terrifying, and nightmares keep her awake at night. Visiting the site of her recurrent dream, Lily is attacked by a vampire–and rescued by Christian, a Sentient. He tells Lily that she is like himself–and there are others she needs to meet.

Enfolded into a small Georgia town, Lily joins Abram, William, Christian and Anna (among others) who all have gifts allowing them to see and destroy evil. Lily’s gift is as an empath, and a Pathcrosser–one who can assist lost souls cross to the other side.

Lily and Christian become fast friends, and he warns her to stay away from William–who happens to be a vampire–with a soul, and his humanity. It’s a mite complicated, but William is really a good dude, and he’s uber-helpful training Lily to focus her powers. Christian hates William out-of-hand because he hates all vamps-they killed his dad. Lily’s conflicted–she’s terrified of William and attracted to him, too. She knows having any sort of relationship with William will alienate Christian, but as time (months) go by, both William and Lily are struggling to keep their mutual attraction from combusting all over the group.

In the meantime, Lily learns to harness her power, and the entire group prepares to destroy a vampire infestation near to Lily’s home town. It’s a big trouble when Lily and William reveal their love, and especially considering Christian’s reaction.

I liked this story. Lily’s not a dimwit, and she’s not entirely likable–at first. She makes snap judgments and allows her loyalty to be swayed by prejudice. It’s a lot for her to get over, and her guilt is plentiful. I liked how she wasn’t great with her powers–at first and even after some practice. She felt very relatable–and I like that in a character. William is a big ball of yum. He is virtually isolated, barely tolerated, by some of the group members, and never anticipates having his affection for Lily returned. It’s so engaging to witness his vulnerability. Christian is a horse’s pa-toot a good part of the book, but his redemption is awesome, and touching.

This is a great start to a paranormal series, with a clear ending and a storyline to continue.

Interested? You can find SEERS OF LIGHT on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Some words from Jen:
How many times have you started reading a novel and just thought, this isn’t a character, it’s a caricature. I don’t believe anything about this character because there’s only one dimension to their whole personality. I know it’s happened to me, and nothing can take you out of a story faster.

So, how do authors write believable characters, anyway? I think the most important facet is imperfection. There are many fantastic examples of imperfect characters who we love nonetheless. Just look at Damon from The Vampire Diaries, or Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice, or any popular novel series or classic book that wins the loyalty and affection of its readers and you’ll notice a common thread: Characters who often fall short of doing the right thing, who often misunderstand each other, or act like they just don’t care when, in fact, they really do. Imperfection makes it believable, but it also makes it relatable.

Part of the reason we read novels is escapism, right? We seek a world that isn’t our own to lose ourselves and forget our troubles. But I think we’re largely removed from a story when things are just too darn tidy, when characters become predictable, when they do exactly what you expect and say exactly what you’d want every time you want them to. An overly stereotyped protagonist is a boring thing, but it’s also hard for real life people to root for, because the truth is we’re all pretty messed up. It makes sense we’d want to read about people like us—imperfect people—overcoming, being loved, being hated, losing and winning. Screwing up. It makes the triumphs that much more glorious.

I kept this in mind while writing The Light Series. In fact, I even got a few comment from angry readers who felt my protagonist, Lily, was a bit of a jerk sometimes, and I took this as a strange kind of compliment. Because we are jerks sometimes. And other times we’re amazing. So which part of us wins in the end? That’s the mystery that keeps us reading, now isn’t it?
Xo Jennifer DeLucy
Light Series

You can catch up with Jen on her website, Goodreads, Facebook, and twitter.