New Adult Romance

WHAT REMAINS–Review, Tour and Giveaway!

What Endures Blog Tour Banner

Welcome to my stop on the What Endures blog tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours.  Click HERE to see the full blog tour schedule!

what enduresWhat Endures
by Katie Lee
Contemporary New Adult Romance  Available NOW!
Summary from Goodreads:

Jason Kincaid is young, hot and successful.

An All-Star outfielder for the Seattle Mariners, he finally had everything he ever wanted, including a second chance with his high school sweetheart, Megan Williams.

But their hopes for a ‘happily-ever-after’ are dashed by tragedy.

A horrific car accident wipes out most of Jason’s memories. Unable to recall anything from the last fifteen years of his life, Jason is suddenly adrift, his once charmed life now in ruins.

Megan finds herself in the untenable position of having to deal with the fact that the man she’s helping to rebuild his life may look, and even act, like her beloved fiancé, but in reality, isn’t any longer.

Trying to protect herself, as well as Jason, Megan fights the attraction between them. . .to no avail. As their potent connection inevitably draws them closer, Megan wonders,

With the memories of their relationship gone, can love endure?

WHAT ENDURES can be picked up…right now, in fact….right here:

Goodreads|Amazon

MY Review:

So, I’ll start with this one thing: I liked this story. Liked it enough to recommend it to my sister. But it took me a bit to get settled in. See, I’ve got a medical background. Been teaching or working in hospitals and med schools my entire adult life…so, when there’s a medical issue in a book I’m challenged to NOT look for all that is wrong with the author’s treatment of the illness. Mostly because I can’t stand when popular culture gets basic medicine wrong in order to tell a convenient story.

I’m not going to say that anything was ‘wrong’ here–I’m no expert on amnesia–but I was surprised that Megan moved out of her home to allow Jason to recuperate alone. She had been by his side for years. They had been through worse personal tragedy, and I really felt it an odd scenario that any medical provider would advocate a loved one to completely remove herself from a patient in need. But, then again, there is lots of goofy pseudomedical advice out there in the real world, and Jason had plenty of money to spend on professional care, unlike most people.

You may wonder why, with such reservations about plausibility, did I like the story?

Because, the tugged heartstrings!

Jason’s struggle to regain his lost memory is engrossing. And Megan’s effort to care for him without obligating him–well that’s admirable, too. With their history lost she doesn’t want to push him into a relationship he can’t understand. So, in essence, they must begin again.

While Jason and Megan’s new love story has some words on the page, they must write new passages, new scenes to bind them together. It is only when they both decide the past doesn’t matter that their future is possible. And, thankfully, it seems to be better than before. 

A strong story is to be admired. And that’s what endures.

About the Author

katie lee copyKatie Lee has had a lifelong love affair with books. She fell in love with her first book in the second grade and hasn’t looked back since. She first took up writing as a hobby, wanting to craft her own magical adventures, and through the love and encouragement of family and friends, decided to get serious about writing and share her stories with the world.
She currently resides in Maryland in the United States. She works for the government during the day, and her spare time is devoted to writing. She gains inspiration from all sorts of things, but mostly from the fun and adventurous trips she takes when she can. She loves hearing from her readers so drop her a note!

Website|Goodreads|Twitter

***GIVEAWAY***

(1) $25 Amazon gift card (INT)
(2) Signed print copies of What Endures (US only)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

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http://www.yaboundbooktours.blogspot.com/

 

Finding HEARTS IN DARKNESS

Makenna James is an overworked accountant whose cell phone takes a catastrophic leap as she enters the elevator, thankful for the small mercy that SOMEONE held the door. She needs to get home. Her date with her couch and a bottle of red is way overdue.

The copiously-inked paramedic who holds the elevator, Caden Grayson, finds the harried red-haired woman in front of him…amusing. Who doesn’t like a woman spitting obscenities?

And then the power goes out.

HEARTS IN DARKNESS, a novella by Laura Kaye, explores the ‘chance encounter becoming more’ story in elegant alternating viewpoint.

Caden, survivor of a wreck that killed his mom and brother, suffers from claustrophobia and the blackness of elevator has him strangled with panic. It’s Makenna’s hysterical laughter which snaps him back to reality. Over the course of several hours in the dark, Makenna and Caden talk to keep his demons at bay.

Fave colors, foods, first times…you know, all the stuff you’d spill to a stranger in a confined space.

Through all the confessions, they develop a bond that goes far beyond the physical. When the power returns, Makenna is stunned to discover the pierced, tattooed man who has captured her heart is as gorgeous as she imagined. And, she’s surely too plain for him, right?

Caden senses Makenna drawing away and can’t figure out why. He’s determined to keep her close however he can. And the result:  passion, baby.

I loved the flow of this from the first scene. It’s a great read with heat that steams, not scalds.

It is available for Kindle or Nook.

Best laid plans are SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Subject to Change (Picturing Perfect, #2)I’ve been reading New Adult of late, mainly because they bring freshness to the romance genre. Just like a first kiss, one’s first adult relationship swings between tentative and unsteady to primal and headstrong. Alessandra Thomas has scored big time in this touching story about finding one’s dreams while managing parental expectations.

Josephine “Joey” Daly promised her father she’d become a doctor–just like him–before he died. It is her life’s goal, financed by the special trust fund created in her father’s will. And, try as she can, she struggles mightily with the course-work.

Joey spends so many hours studying she may as well move her bed from her sorority house to Temple’s library–and still she’s barely making a B- average.

Organic Chemistry is killing her.

In Joey’s single fluff course, Introductory Business, she’s paired with Will “Hawk” Hawkins a scruffy, chronically-late, hot mess who is now 50% responsible for her grade. High-strung Joey is also frustrated by the cold-as-stone Dr. O’Donnell, a pediatric oncologist she’s shadowing, who counsels Joey to remain detached from patients–something Joey finds impossible to do.

Like most pre-med students, Joey sacrifices to get into med school, to be the perfect doctor, to help cancer patients–all plans she made with her father’s legacy in mind. Driven, Joey struggles on even as she discovers the reality of medicine isn’t what she imagined it to be.

Surprisingly, it is the taciturn Hawk–shouldering more responsibility than Joey can imagine–who embodies an open-minded approach to life. Growing close to Hawk, Joey finally experiences the joy of following her heart instead of her plans.

What is romance without conflict, right? Joey’s mom plays a role in sabotaging Joey’s new life plan, but Joey finds a path that her father would have applauded. And, that’s exactly what new adulthood is about–figuring out how in the world to become an adult.

What I admired about this story:

It’s accurate. How can I say that? In another life I was a pre-med student. And, in a life after that one, I taught physiology to med students and pre-med students. Here’s what I learned: All parents wants to say their child is a Doctor–and it’s a lofty ideal that many ascribe to–but becoming a physician is a long hard row to hoe.

In truth, I’ve known more people who happily got off the Pre-Med track than medical school students who completed their training. It’s a VERY difficult career, one I quickly learned would not fit my life goals. Unlike Joey I didn’t have a medical legacy to live up to, yet it still wasn’t easy to go home and tell The P’s about my change in plans.

SUBJECT TO CHANGE is an excellent New Adult romance that deals with real-world issues many college students face. The narrative is well-paced and the conflict vital without being overblown or melodramatic.

If you decide to check it out make sure to leave your thoughts on it in the comments.

INSEPARABLE Book Blitz and GIVEAWAY

Inseparable banner

Hey there! Today I’m hosting my first Book Blitz for Inseparable by Missy Johnson
Release Date: 05/14/13

Summary from Goodreads: Can you imagine losing your twin?

Nineteen year old Lily is still struggling with the death of her identical twin, Abby, a year later when she moves away from home for college. Even in death though, their bond is still strong, with Abby visiting Lily in her dreams.

When a chance encounter with twenty-one year old Dane Hansen changes Lily’s life, Lily’s friends warn her off becoming involved with Dane. He’s bad news, according to the rumors, anyway.

Dane has experienced loss himself, he understands Lily, and the more time he spends with her, the harder he falls. There is something he hasn’t told her though, something almost nobody knows, and it’s something that might stop Lily from feeling the same way.

Abby holds the key to something that will change Lily and Dane’s life forever, but how do you get someone else to believe something you don’t quite understand yourself?

INSEPARABLE is available on Goodreads, Kindle, Nook, Book Depository, and Kobo–pretty much anywhere! How convenient 😉

inseparableLast I checked, Kindle and Nook editions were $.99, but if that price doesn’t entice, check out these excerpts:

Excerpt #1

The worst thing, apart from the obvious, was seeing my sister fade away before my eyes.

Looking at Abby was like looking into a mirror, identical in every way, from our long blonde tresses, right down to our emerald green eyes and our curvy silhouettes.

After her diagnosis, the weight dropped off her, her eyes lost their sparkle, and her hair slowly fell out leaving a shadow of who she once was. I’d look at Abby and I’d feel guilty.

Why wasn’t I sick? Why had Abby been given such a horrible sentence?

Why did she deserve to die and not me?

Every day following her death, I’d look in the mirror and see Abby. I’d see the Abby I knew before she got sick. The Abby that was full of life, stuck deep inside her sick exterior right up until the moment she died.

Excerpt #2:

“Don’t you make your bed?” I laughed, raising an eyebrow at him. He shook his head proudly.

“You know, research has shown there is actually less bacteria in an unmade bed when compared to a made one.” He said, brushing the creases out of the sheet.

“Is that your idea of foreplay?” I giggled, “Woo me with your bacteria talk, Dane. It really turns me on.” I said in my sexiest voice. He blushed, then pulled me into his arms, caressing my face.

“Are you making fun of me, Lily?” He asked, teasing me with promises of a kiss. My lips lurched forward, trying to catch his. He was too fast for me, pulling away, with a sly smile. Then leaning in again, and pulling away. “Still want to make fun of me?” He murmured, his eyes narrowed.

Really? He thought he was the one with the power here? He was about to learn a valuable lesson. I pulled out of his embrace, circling him around the room until I was up against the bed.

“You don’t want to kiss me, Dane?” I pouted, tilting my head to the side, my hands threatening to undo the second top button of my shirt. Eventually, it popped open, giving him an eyeful of breast.

He breathed in sharply. “You’re not playing fair, sexy.” He muttered, as he slowly walked closer to me. I let his arm slide around my waist, and eyed him with caution as he brought me flush against his body. I narrowed my eyes at him as he ran his finger down the middle of my chest, opening the third button. I shivered as he ripped the final buttons apart.

Looks like Missy Johnson can bring the heat!

About the Author:

Missy Johnson lives in a small town in Central Victoria with her husband, and her confused pets (a dog who think she’s a cat, a cat who thinks he’s a dog…you get the picture). When she’s not writing, she can usually be found looking for something to read.

Check her out on Goodreads, Twitter or Facebook if you’re an author-stalker, like me.


***GIVEAWAY***

One signed copy of Inseparable and 5 e-book copies of Inseparable (INT) 

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

PRECIOUS THINGS…indeed!

New Adult fiction is taking off–and many people are still trying to figure out if it’s a real phenomenon. What is it? YA rawness, plus more. The ones I’ve read are all contemporary with hotter (wetter? stickier?) romance.

Honestly, I’ve read a few and I’m hoping to find more, because it’s fun. I love the freshness. I love the romance. The uncertainty of ‘new adulthood’ is as energizing and rapturous as it is bittersweet.

And that’s how I felt about PRECIOUS THINGS by Stephanie Parent.

Isabelle is an excellent student. She’s been accepted to Johns Hopkins and Georgetown and her freshman year should be one of excitement and adventure, but it’s not.

Dad’s business is in the toilet and her college fund? Poof.

And, mom? She poofed years ago leaving Isabelle to help raise her younger brother, Corey.

Having not considered this possibility, Isabelle neglected to apply to a safety school that she could afford–so she’s wandering about Hartford Community College lamenting her extremely bad fortune and despairing over her ridiculous courses–not the least of which is Electronic Music Production which she abhors–that she only took because they were still open.

If life wasn’t bad enough, her Music TA Evan Strauss is hot, but runs hot-and-cold, and Isabelle, hoping against hope for financial aid from her real colleges so she can leave at the end of term, doesn’t want to reach out. She must however, because she’s clueless in Music and knows a failing grade will strand her in Community Collegeville. FOREVER.

She develops a friendship with Lily, a beautiful dance major and fellow Music classmate, and warms to her English prof finding that there is more to college than a GIANT DEBT, I mean, name.

Especially when she doesn’t just, ahem, warm to Evan…

Flames, people. Get the extinguisher.

And, of course there is conflict. Corey’s hanging with all new kids and his disrespectful attitude is stronger than teen-boy-foot odor. Dad’s poor business sense weighs on Isabelle, as does her resentment over high school friends finding their brighter futures. And Evan, delicious Evan, seems to be the next one to let her down.

Through it all, Isabelle develops an appreciation for being exactly where she is. Oh, and Depeche Mode. (Who doesn’t, BTW?)

What I loved?

Shit gets real. There are millions of kids out there living Isabelle’s disappointment right now–albeit without the hot TA who knows how to swing his hammer. It’s an important life lesson.  To borrow from The Stones: You Can’t Always Get What You Want in this life. And, yet, you must go on and do the best you can.

And sometimes, if you’re lucky like Isabelle, you get what you need.

And that is very precious, indeed.

Let me know if you pick up PRECIOUS THINGS in the comments. I’d love your take on it, or any New Adult title you’ve recently enjoyed.

Cocktails and Dreams–two of my favorite things!

Cocktails & Dreams Reading in the summer isn’t easy.

Kids are home, but I’m still working.

And, I have writing to do.

And, the garden is sorely neglected.

You know, the usual excuses…

But I’ve made a commitment to myself to squeeze in some time for new books. I was glad to run across COCKTAILS AND DREAMS by Autumn Markus (@AutumnMarkus).

In this New Adult Contemporary Romance, Jena Baker and Nicolas Cooper–two who had admired each other in college but were unable to link up due to a sudden separation–meet again on New Year’s Eve seven years later. And the sex, though it’s not described, is EPIC. Except for one thing:  Nick was too drunk to remember who his Angel is.

Haunted by dreams of the escapade, he is stunned to learn Jena was his special someone. Meanwhile, Jena, stung by Nick’s poor memory is hesitant to enter an actual relationship with the object of her college crush.

What follows is an unsteady game of Misunderstanding as both Jena and Nick realize they are supremely attracted to each other, while having very little knowledge of the other. Their tentative dating results in a passion-fueled couplehood–complete with jealous bar fights, empty liquor bottles, disapproving parents, scheming friends, and lots and lots of hurt feelings. Pretty much dead-on for a realistic relationship, IMHO.

Told in alternating first-person, this tale gives the reader a window to both Jena and Nick’s insecurities and certainties–because when the dust settles they’re definitely *almost* sure they really might belong…together.

What I really enjoyed about this novel:  the passion between Jena and Nick, the love of their friends, and the steadfast belief that they didn’t know what the heck they were getting into.

For all that this is a contemporary romance the heat is tepid. Lots of discussion about sex had or to-be-had but no graphic smexy bits to make your hands steam up the reader screen. And, that’s okay too.

If you happen to pick this one up, let me know your take.

And ALWAYS recommend me a can’t-miss title.

Girl With Guitar–Get it!

Product DetailsI had the pleasure to pick up Caisey Quinn‘s debut novel, GIRL WITH GUITAR, and all I can say is:  yes.

Wait.

I mean…YES!

This fast-paced tale follows sassy, nearly-nineteen y/o, Kylie Ryans on her quest for stardom. Rendered homeless when her step-mother kicks her out, Kylie takes the money she’d saved to buy her daddy a headstone and travels from Pride, Oklahoma to Nashville praying she’ll be able to survive the two week wait for an open mic.  Along the way she lucks into a job and makes a great friend at the club where she’s due to sing. Kylie works hard and distinguishes herself–which is admirable–but her talent is there, too.

Performing brings out the sass in Little Miss Kylie, and she rocks the house at her open mic, propelling her into alignment with country star Trace Corbin, a bad-boy on his last-chance bar tour. Kylie joins the tour, knowing this is her big break, and knowing that attraction to Trace could end her career before it even begins.

On the road, Trace’s bad behavior causes big problems, but feisty Kylie won’t let his drinking scuttle her chances–even when it means dumping thousands of dollars of liquor down the tour bus sink. Animosity and admiration are subtly woven into a budding romance that brings both heat and heart.

Complications ensue–naturally–and yet the narrative never seems forced. Caisey Quinn’s deftly woven plot and rich characters will leave you wanting more of Kylie. (And, Trace! Yum!)

This New Adult romance is intended for mature readers, but the heat isn’t scorching.

Thanks Caisey! Loved GIRL WITH GUITAR and looking forward to the sequel.