ARC: Still Point (#3) – Katie Kacvinsky

Posted on August 18, 2014July 18, 2014 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

In the final installment to the trilogy begun with “Awaken, ” Maddie returns home to make her final stand against Digital School, and uncovers deeply guarded secrets about her family an new truths about herself.

5 out of 5 Stars

2012 review of Awaken
2013 review of Middle Ground

————————————————————————————

My Review

Parents show you life is a paved road. Friends show you the road isn’t there yet, its waiting for you to carve it out. Parents show you life is a handbook, with rules set in place. Friends show you how to break the rules you’re handed.

*ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I first read Awaken back in 2012. I was captivated by this dystopian novel because it spoke truth. It’s about a digital era where everyone hides behind a computer, too afriad to go outside and converse face-to-face. And it got me thinking about right now. How we are all attached to our phones and computers and anything else that is digital and means you don’t have to speak to anyone in person. I used to look around the train station on the way to work and count how many were on their phones. It was nearly everyone, including myself. And I think that’s why I became attached to this series, that and because it is amazing. It has so much depth into the storyline, it evolves at every turn and you become fascinated about the characters, the digitalisation of everything, of where Katie is going to take you.

I’m not one for reading YA. It takes my fancy every now and again but this is one series I pined over. For each book released, I have been anxious for them to release so I can get my next fix of Justin and Maddie, the next chapter in the Digital world and how everything will or wont play out.

Still Point is the third and final book in the Awaken and holy crap, it’s full of twists and shocks. I cant even give you a brief overview without spoiling the story, Let’s just say, it shocked me; I was not expecting anything of what happened, to happen in book three!

After the slight cliffy in Middle Ground, I was waiting to see what Maddie was going to do. And although her decision is one I didn’t think would happen, I was proud of her for doing it. She has always been up against her father, fighting against his creation since she was fifteen and she wants to destroy the digital world, wanting people to actually talk face-to-face, go to school in a classroom, and just spend time together without a computer screen in front of them.

I was proud of her for pushing and seeing it through. Although my heart pained when you could see her dilemma about her dad, about Justin, about her feelings, about how she just didn’t know what to do anymore. I felt so sorry for her, because Justin is obsessed with taking down the digital world and yes, Maddie wants it too, but she wants to be at the top of the list, not third or forth and you could see it did effect her to be pushed down the list. You watch her fight against herself, dig deep into her soul and watch her see exactly what she really wants; from herself and from her life. And yes, I was just a little bit shocked at her choice but you know what, I could definitely see it. And I really want to write more about that, but I cant. It will spoil it all so I will just smile to myself and mentally high-five Maddie for taking charge of her life and making the right choice – for her!

Also the tattoo makes an awful lot of sense now. I have read Maddie’s tattoo, the short novella about how she got her tattoo and how it came about. We also meet the guy who designed it, Jax and he is swoon worthy. I really liked him. And that’s all I am saying on him haha. You need to find out about him throughout this book. It was a push and pull situation and I was in the middle not knowing what to do.

Justin’s whole life is taking down the DS (Digital Schools) and DC’s (Detention centers). It goes 1) Destroying DS 2) Maddie and although I completely love Justin; he’s passionate and determined and completely focused on the plan at hand, DS would always be his number one, no matter how much he wants to be with Maddie. And picking and choosing is a hard decision, when your heart wants both.

I loved how selfless he was at the end though. How he actually put Maddie’s feelings first for once. He wanted to see her happy and not sad and broken over him and I felt proud of him for doing what he did, even if I wasn’t expecting it. He has gone through so much in his life – with fighting against DS, recruiting members and then falling for Maddie but when the time came, her happiness definitely meant more to him and although I was shocked at how it ended, it was kind of perfect for Justin too. He got what he had always wanted and he fought the hard way to get there but he deserved it after the hard work he has put in year after year.

I would love to see a little novella about him, Katie. Hint hint;) I think it would be amazing to see him after Still Point or even before Awaken, how he began to be so passionate about taking down the DS and finding Maddie. To be honest, I am being greedy and want more Justin haha.

There are a lot of twists and turns throughout Still Point – many had me gasping and eyes wide open. I was not expecting any of the things to happen. And I love that! I loved that everything I thought I knew during the first two books, just completely messed me over and it wasn’t all that it seemed. But it completely made sense, and I trusted that Katie knew what she were doing and it worked! I also was not expecting that ending. Not after everything that happened in Awaken and Middle Ground. But as I said, it made sense. And I really want to blab about what happened, but I know I cant. I need someone else to read this book so I can talk about it because, man, I NEED to talk about it. I need to know someone else was like “Oh holy crap” and “Oh holy crap, I cant believe Justin did that, but bless him.” SEE, I’m being vague, but you will understand when you get the chance to read this book.

If you haven’t had the chance to get acquainted with this series, I demand that you do. It is one of my favourite dystopian series because, really, it could happen.

Breathe Again (#2) – Rachel Brookes

Posted on May 6, 2014May 4, 2014 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

For Savannah Rae, the thought of living in her picture-perfect world was almost too much to comprehend. With her dream job, a family she could finally call her own, and the beginnings of the best chapter of her life, she still couldn’t shake the unnerving feeling that it was all too good to be true.

The thought of a life without Savannah was incomprehensible to Tate Connors. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would find his girl in the form of a sassy, stubborn, beautiful Australian. Finally he had the girl and life he so desperately wanted, but he still couldn’t ignore the fear that it would crash around him.

When Tate’s past becomes his present and Savannah’s present becomes her past, the possibility of a future together collides head-on with reality.

In her darkest days, the words Just Breathe provided a peaceful comfort to Savannah from the heavens above. Now as she and Tate go down the path of new beginnings, brutal endings, and the constant craving of a happily ever after, they are anxious to learn how to Breathe Again.

4 out of 5 stars

36244-addtogoodreads

————————————————————————————————–

My Review

This is the third and final instalment in the Breathe series and it is the perfect ending to Tate and Sav’s story. Along with their relationship growing from book to book, Rachel’s writing has also gone from strength to strength too. Since book one, Rachel has grown as an author and each book captivates into the lives of not just Tate and Sav, but all the characters along the way too. She has a way with her writing that drags you in and you keep turning the pages until you have read the last sentence and think “what do I do now?”

We have been through thick and thin with Tate and Sav. We have watched them face their pasts, their demons. Watched them grow together and separately throughout the series and we watch all the drama unfold only to be put back together again and overcome with the happy ending that they both deserve.

There are certain parts of the book which had me shaking my head at and although I want to write about them, I’m not going to as they are kinda spoilery. I will say that both Sav and Tate were in the wrong, and if they both just pulled their heads out of their ass then none of the problems would have happened in the first place. It was stupid and the solution to this was pretty damn simple in my eyes. If that had happened to me, I would have dropped everything and gone (You’ll understand when you read it/if you have already read it) and then none of the shit would have been happening. But then it is Tate and Sav and they always do things the hard way.

Sav is still the spunky, fiery women we all know and love, but we also know just how deeply in love she is with Tate. There relationship has its up and downs but you know that whatever happens they will find their way back to one another soon or later. With that ending with Breathless, I was with baited breath as to what was going to happen in Breathe Again. Sav is a stubborn mule and we all know she has flick you off with a finger and ignore you. But then Sav and Tate were never drama free and you expect something from them. But then you see their relationship flourish and you see them happier than ever, finally putting all the shit behind them. I loved a happy Sav – she has grown up so much over the course of the book, it was nice for her to find love, to have this family and people she could rely on.

But as I’ve said, drama follows closely and you see insecurities, her fears and her fear of her past being relived. It tore your heart to watch this from Sav (and the same for Tate too!). It is a difficult journey but one you know she has to take to get where she does at the end. Everything she has been through only makes her stronger and it was the prefect conclusion to this series.

After the ending of Breathless, you completely feel for Tate. And if we know anything about Tate we know he’s stubborn but also determined. He will do whatever he can to win back Sav but we also know Sav is stubborn too and this makes it difficult on both of them. But then I loved that it wasn’t all ‘I forgive you’, Sav made him grovel and in the end she couldn’t resist anymore. It makes it more real.

We see Tate so happy but then his past is still haunting him, especially his father and we see that take over him, make him insecure, angry, hurt but with Sav he can get through it all. He is still the sexy, arrogant, dirty talking guy we all love, but we know there are many layers to him and we see all of them at some stage. As I’ve said, all is happy and then we hit part two and everything they have fought for comes crashing down. We see Tate depressed, annoyed, angry and hurt. We see him over-thinking things, questioning himself and Sav and you just want them to get it straight. To communicate and as I’ve said, this is the part which annoyed the hell out of me. It was a simple solution as to what to do, yet neither of them did. Tate could have easier left and go Sav but he didn’t. I didn’t really understand him when Sav came back but I suppose that is Tate and he’s been hurting and confused.

But when they do get their shit together, Tate is getting over the past, and we see him gleaming, so much happier and stronger and you know that he and Sav are the real deal and they can finally breathe again together – as a family!

I have thoroughly enjoyed every book in this series, enjoyed watching everyone grow up, bond and have such a special love for on another. To see the end of this story is pretty damn sad but I am loving the fact that Blake is going to get his own book. I love that guy! Let’s hope Rachel will decide to write one for Mr. Davenport 😉 YUMMMMMM.

Cover Reveal

COVE REVEAL: Hard To Hold On To – Laura Kaye

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Z. Elizabeth

Laura Kaye is thrilled to share with you the cover to her next Hard Ink book, Hard to Hold On To which releases on August 19, 2014! Check it out:

Edward “Easy” Cantrell knows better than most the pain of not being able to save those he loves–which is why he is not going to let Jenna Dean out of his sight. He may have just met her, but Jenna’s the first person to make him feel alive since that devastating day in the desert more than a year ago.

Jenna has never met anyone like Easy. She can’t describe how he makes her feel–and not just because he saved her life. No, the stirrings inside her reach far beyond gratitude.

As the pair are thrust together while chaos reigns around them, they both know one thing: the things in life most worth having are the hardest to hold on to.

Pre-Order at Amazon | Amazon.ca | Amazon UK | B&N | iTunes

Hard to Hold On To on Goodreads

And don’t miss the other Hard Ink books, now available:

Hard As It Gets

Hard As You Can

A Note from Laura:

Hey guys! I am so excited about Easy’s book that I can hardly wait for August to get here! Easy’s character was a total surprise to me. When I initially plotted out the series, there were four surviving members of the Army Special Forces team and therefore I planned for and sold four book in the series. But then, when I sat down to write Hard As It Gets, all of a sudden the story demanded there were actually five guys, and Edward “Easy” Cantrell was born. And I’m so glad! Because Easy’s character is a totally tortured hero, which I adore writing! So I’m super happy that we added his story and this novella into the series, and I can’t wait for you to learn about Easy in Hard to Hold On To!

Is it August yet???

xo, Laura

Praise for the Hard Ink Series:

For Hard As You Can:

“TOP PICK! There is a sinister and desperate edge to this tale that will keep readers glued to their seats. Kaye has dark romantic suspense nailed!” ~ RT Book Reviews Magazine

“Hard As You Can is another five star read. The characters Ms. Kaye has created are wonderfully broken and the drama is gritty, but the burgeoning romance and the tight-knitted relationship of the team leaves you with a sense of redemption. A must read series!” ~San Francisco Book Review

For Hard As It Gets:

“Edgy, sexy and full of suspense! A great read from a great new author!” ~ #1 NYT Bestselling Author J.R. Ward

“Sizzling romance… The intriguing tattoo parlor and military background will appeal to fans of Suzanne Brockmann and Lindsay McKenna.” ~Publishers Weekly Review

“Kaye’s depiction of sexual tension and her sex scenes are masterful and this will appeal to fans of Maya Banks’ KGI and Julia Ann Walker’s Black Knight’s series.” ~Booklist

About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter SignUp

Cover Reveal, Emma Hart

COVER REVEAL: The Right Moves (#3) – Emma Hart

Posted on February 7, 2014February 6, 2014 by Z. Elizabeth

TITLE: The Right Moves (The Game, #3)
AUTHOR: Emma Hart
Publication Date: 27^th March 2014
Reveal organised by: The Book Lovers

————————————————————

UNOFFICIAL BLURB:

Her past is wrought with demons.
His past is full of heartbreak.
Yet he’s the one person that can remind her what it means to live.

Abbi Jenkins never thought she would leave the walls of the mental institution that’s housed her for the last year. Now she has, but that doesn’t mean she’s forgotten everything Pearce put her through.

She knows there’s only one way to deal with the depression that claws at her mind each day, and ballet becomes more than a hobby, a dream. Ballet – and Julliard – becomes a reason to live. Something to hold on for.

Blake Smith left London for one reason and one reason only. Running from the heartbreak of his past was never something he wanted to do, but with constant reminders everywhere he turned, it became his only option. When he arrives in New York City, he vows he’ll keep the promise he made to his sister and get into Juilliard.

But he doesn’t expect to be paired with Abbi in class, the girl whose eyes show a world of pain he’s seen before. Pain he knows too well. As each hour they spend together pulls them closer, Blake can’t fight his need to save her from herself.

Lines blur as their pasts are wrenched into the open, and they have to ask themselves whether they’re too broken to ever to be fixed, or if they’re the healing the other needs.

————————————————————

EXCERPT (from Abbi’s POV):

“We always seem to be somewhere when it’s getting dark,” I comment absently, stepping from Blake’s hold and walking to the edge of the shelter. I look over the water, a few lone ducks still swimming along.

I see him shrug as he steps up beside me. He rests his elbows on the ledge and leans forward, his bicep brushing my arm.

“Hiding in plain sight,” he says simply.

I blink harshly, suddenly glad for the darkening of the sky. Something I said so casually, like it meant nothing, and he’s remembered it. He’s remembered it and somehow he’s applied it to everything we’ve done so far. He’s letting me hide right where he can see me.

He seems to understand so much about me – about how I feel, how to deal with the crazy breakdowns that can happen any second. He doesn’t blink at them and nothing seems to faze him. It’s unnerving and reassuring at the same time.

“It’s my favorite time of day,” I admit, twiddling my fingers. “Right now, when day is giving way to night. It’s the point I can drop the fake smile and stop pretending like everything is perfect. There are so many shadows and dark places I can barely recognize my own amongst them, and it’s a relief.”

“You can’t pretend all the time.” He turns his face toward mine, and his eyes are so serious I have to fight not to look back at him. “Anyone who smiles the way you do can’t have a fake one all the time. Either that, or you’re an even better actress than you are a dancer and I don’t see how that’s possible.”

“Maybe not all the time,” I say slowly and quietly. “I don’t always need to pretend. Sometimes it really is okay.”

“Like when you dance.”

I tilt my head toward him, my eyes meeting his through my hair, and I whisper, “Like when I’m with you.”

————————————————————

About Emma:

By day, New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Adult author Emma Hart dons a cape and calls herself Super Mum to two beautiful little monsters. By night, she drops the cape, pours a glass of whatever she fancies – usually wine – and writes books.

Emma is working on Top Secret projects she will share with her followers and fans at every available opportunity. Naturally, all Top Secret projects involve a dashingly hot guy who likes to forget to wear a shirt, a sprinkling (or several) of hold-onto-your-panties hot scenes, and a whole lotta love.

She likes to be busy – unless busy involves doing the dishes, but that seems to be when all the ideas come to life.

————————————————————

Find Emma online at:

Blog: http://www.emmahart.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EmmaHartBooks
Twitter: @EmmaHartAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6451162.Emma_Hart

————————————————————

PRE-ORDER LINKS:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1jNKgcr

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1ajKpE6

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1ib2JPu

iTunes: (Coming in days)

THE GAME SERIES BUY LINKS:

THE LOVE GAME:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1gKQPxv

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1fLTjZB

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1dryujP

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1kYHmlI

PLAYING FOR KEEPS (Pre-order for Feb 13 re-release):

Amazon US: no pre-order.

Amazon UK:

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1ncPkH0

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1kYHxxs

———————–————————————-

And if you’re in the US, grab THE GAME SERIES BOX SET for $0.99 on pre-order to get ready for THE RIGHT MOVES! Box set consists of the first two books in the series, and is usually priced at $3.99.

PRE-ORDER THE GAME SERIES BOX SET:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1kFL4Av

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1cXMiVX

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1iuiJfC

J. Sterling

The Sweetest Game (#3) – J.Sterling

Posted on January 11, 2014January 9, 2014 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

This is the third (and final) installment in Jack & Cassie’s story!

“It’s one hell of a sledgehammer to the chest when your baseball career comes to an end. It’s like you finally realize that baseball never loved you back. All the sleepless nights, the hours spent at the gym trying to stay fit, the conditioning, the training, the mental preparation, the holiday’s missed, the birthday’s passed, the memories you didn’t get to make with your family…all for what? It’s not like baseball lost any sleep over you. She didn’t stay awake for nights on end trying to figure out how to make you a better player. She didn’t care. Baseball’s a business. A sport. A game. And as much as my entire life has been wrapped up in it, it’s time to let it go.”
– Jack Carter

4 out of 5 stars

My Review of The Perfect Game

My Review of The Game Changer

——————————————————————-

My Review

The Sweetest Game is the perfect conclusion and ending to an amazing, and frustrating series! (We all know what happened in The Perfect Game) Jack Fucking Carter is like marmite and you will either fall for him completely, forgive him for his mistakes or you will never see past them…

The third and final book is about family and overcoming situations they have no control over… You watch our favourite characters grow in themselves and together, watch them actually grow up, fall and stay in love, have arguments, start a family and watch their lives end in the sweetest way ever. The final installment cements the love of Cassie and Jack, cements that they truly are each others souls mates, that they would do whatever for each other, and i am so sad its over but so completely happy to have this series in my life, to know about this series.

J. Sterling has made us go through the motions but i wouldnt have it any other way. I loved all the trials and tribulations everyone went through, loved the drama, loved the banter, the love of their friends and family and most importantly, the love of Cassie and Jack overcoming everything that has been put in their way to challenge them.

I have to say, at the beginning of the book, when something big happens, i wanted to smack the living shit out of Jack. Okay, so i can understand why he was so down and depressed but to take it out on Cassie, to make her feel small, to make her so upset over his action. No, that was never okay for him to do and i really wanted to punch him and kick him in the balls and tell him to grow a pair. Okay, okay, he had a right to be down, but never take it out on the woman you love with everything and never act like a total bitch when all she was trying to do was understand and love you like hell.

But once he realized what he was doing, I, along with Cassie, learned to forgive him for his action. I could see how much he was affected by what happened, and why he was acting out and i knew he knew what he was doing yet he just couldnt stop it. But once they get back to being them, you can really see how strong they are as a couple, how in love they are and that they have found their one, regardless of how ‘young’ they were, love as no age limit.

I admired Cassie in this book. She would move heaven and earth for that boy, to be with him wherever he was and to since putting up with so much shit in the past two books, you knew she loved Jack that much to overcome it, to power through and just be with Jack. She gave up something she loved and you could see that although she was sad, Jack was more than enough for her and wherever Jack was, she was.

I loved watching them grow up, i loved seeing them through the years, seeing them still in such a strong relationship, still turning each other on like madness, still needing to touch and hold and be close to one another and still supporting each other. Cassie supported Jack with his baseball, seemingly putting her dreams on hold for him and now it was Jack;s time to get Cassie back to her dream. These two are a team and even if you cant see past the things in book one, you need to finish reading this series because i adored knowing their story, knowing what became of them and knowing where they are now.

It hasnt been an easy ride at all, but to come through so much, and with so much love for each other, you know that whatever challenges they come across they will deal with them together.

I also enjoyed Dean and Melissa’s journey too. From being best friends to hooking up and getting together – which we all knew would happen eventually. It wasnt a smooth ride at all…oh hell no it wasnt but they got there in the end and i loved that although it took years, they are really happy now and have everything they ever wished for…together.

I’m definitely sad their story has come to an end, but Jack Fucking Carter will always stay with me. I hope there will be spin-off series with the little kiddie winkles some day in the future. I loved reading the epilogue and i know that any kid of Jack’s and Dean’s will prove themselves and turn out to be just like their dads.

PS. Jack Fucking Carter is way HOTTER than Harry Fucking Potter 😉

Book Tours

BOOK TOUR: That One Summer‏ – C.J Duggan (+GIVEAWAY)

Posted on December 11, 2013December 10, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

It’s The Book Lovers stop on That One Summer tour and I have an excerpt for you all!

—————————————————————

Synopsis

Release Date: December 17, 2013

Loving Chris Henderson would be wrong. Diabolically disastrous. I mean, what is there about him to love? He’s moody, bossy, brooding, a control freak, and that’s on a good day … but there was one achingly obvious fact that haunted my every thought, every minute of every day …

He sure could kiss.

As the countdown to the new millennium begins, there is one thing everyone agrees on: no one wants to be in Onslow for New Year’s Eve.

So that can only mean one thing: road trip!

No longer the mousey, invisible, shy girl from years ago, Tammy Maskala is finally making up for all those lost summers. A new year with new friends, which astoundingly includes the bossy boy behind the bar, Chris Henderson.

She likes her new friends (at least most of them), so why does she secretly feel so out of place?

After chickening out on the trip, a last-minute change of heart sees Tammy racing to the Onslow Hotel, fearing she’s missed her chance for a ride. The last thing she expected to meet was a less-than-happy Onslow Boy leaning against his black panel van.

Now the countdown begins to reach the others at Point Shank before the party is over and the new year has begun. Alone in a car with only the infuriating Chris Henderson, Tammy can’t help but feel this is a disastrous start to what could have been a great adventure. But when the awkward road trip takes an unexpected turn, Tammy soon discovers that the way her traitorous heart feels about Chris is the biggest disaster of all.

Fogged up windows, moonlight swimming, bad karaoke and unearthed secrets; after this one summer nothing will ever be the same again.

—————————————————————

The Summer Series

The Boys of Summer – Book 1
An Endless Summer – Book 2
That One Summer – Book 3

—————————————————————

Excerpt

“Guess we better not muck around then.” Even in the night-time shadows I could tell that amusement lined his face; I could tell simply by the way the words had fallen off his tongue. They were tauntingly suggestive. If he thought it was funny to make me squirm under his penetrating stare, well, I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

I lifted my chin. “Keep dreaming, Henderson. I’m not skinny dipping,” I said proudly. “I don’t care how secluded this place is.”

The light of the moon illuminated the brilliant flash of Chris’s toothy smile. “More’s the pity,” he said. “To be honest, I’ll be amazed if you even get in.” He walked right up to the edge of the pool.

“Why wouldn’t I?” I said quickly.

Chris stretched his arms to the sky. “You just don’t strike me as a girl who gets out of her comfort zone much.”

Comfort zone?

My entire summer had been spent out of my comfort zone. This whole trip had been massively out of my comfort zone. But I had done it. Against all my better instincts, here I was. I had even been prepared to potentially do something last night with Chris that was completely out of character. I had wanted him to kiss me – everything in my body language had screamed as much at him. He would have to have been blind not to have understood that much last night, but he had known. Of course he had. Why else would he have spun around so fast other than to avoid me?

I felt not so much the burning of humiliation rising in me, but more the burning of anger.

He didn’t know anything about me. So what if I didn’t want to go skinny dipping? Just because I had some safety-related questions over the creepy, poorly lit, abandoned pool, I was a girl who never pushed the boundaries? That never went against the grain?

Fuck you, Chris Henderson.

My brows narrowed and all of a sudden I hoped that I was illuminated well enough that he’d see just how angry his statement had made me.

I pushed past Chris, my feet slapping angrily against the cool, wet concrete as I glanced out toward the massive pool.

“You don’t have to, you know,” Chris said, looking uncomfortable. “I just thought that it was kind of a cool place to bring you after a long trip.”

Oh, now he was trying to be nice and supportive?

Underneath the glow of the pool light, I stood close enough to count all the different shades of brown in his eyes, eyes that ticked across my face as if trying to solve the mysteries of the universe through me. Then they lit up, as if at that very moment he had realised what my determined, serious gaze meant.

“Tammy, wait …”

It was too late. In an act of defiance, as he reached out toward me, without a second thought I dived into the water.

—————————————————————

About C.J

C.J Duggan is the number one bestselling Australian author of the Summer Series! C.J lives with her husband in a rural border town of New South Wales, Australia. When she isn’t writing books about swoony boys and 90’s pop culture you will find her renovating her hundred-year-old Victorian homestead or annoying her local travel agent for a quote to escape the chaos.

Novels in the Summer Series includes: The Boys of Summer (2012), An Endless Summer (2013) and the highly anticipated, soon to be released That One Summer (2013).
For more on C.J and ‘The Summer Series’, visit www.cjdugganbooks.com

—————————————————————

Contact C.J

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cj-Duggan-Author/207724915934429
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CJ_Duggan
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5779034.C_J_Duggan

—————————————————————

International Giveaway

ONE WINNER will receive a SIGNED PAPERBACK copy of the ENTIRE SUMMER SERIES
THREE WINNERS will receive EBOOK copies of the ENTIRE SUMMER SERIES
FOUR WINNERS will receive an EBOOK COPY of THAT ONE SUMMER

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Serenity Woods

Five Exotic Fantasies – Serenity Woods

Posted on December 10, 2013December 10, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

“Her head reminds her he’s not for keeps. Her heart isn’t listening. ”

“Love in Reverse, Book 3”

Between caring for her disabled mother and taking over as McAllister Dell law firm’s office manager, Coco Stark has zero room for one more thing on her precariously balanced plate.

Enter “one more thing,” a hotshot lawyer who’s defending one of the partners in a sexual harassment case. Coco has her own reasons to hope the partner is found guilty-reasons she doesn’t want Mr. Hotshot Fancy Pants to find out.

The moment Felix Wilkinson sets foot in his client’s office, the 1950s vibe grates on his idealistic, modern sensibilities. Only the strict, sexy Miss Stark captures his attention, and he’s determined to free the wild woman trapped inside her buttoned-down persona.

In spite of herself, Coco is captivated by Felix’s killer combination of sensual and smart, finally free to explore the exotic fantasies that freaked out her ex. But when Felix inevitably discovers the truth, she has trouble reminding herself that he was never for keeps. And Felix must choose to follow his head, or listen to his heart.

Warning: Contains wandering hands, mind-blowing kisses, a bit of bondage, and sexual fantasies that run the gamut from Hawaiian beach to Siberian igloo.

5 out of 5 stars!!

————————————————————–

My review

I am besotted with The Love in Reverse series. Like so much! The first book I ever read and continue to re-read is Seven Sexy Sins. Then came along Toby in Six Naughty Nights and NOW, oh sweet baby Jesus is Felix in Five Exotic Fantasies. If you follow me on twitter, you will see just how much I LOVED Felix…yes I tweeted about him a lot throughout reading Five Exotic Fantasies but how the hell could I not? Seriously, you will fall head over heels with him.

I’m a huge fan of Serenity Woods and this series and the thing I love most about Serenity is that her books shine. Despite having truly amazing and hot as fuck sex scenes, the characters have their own personality, their own voice, but most importantly their own story to share. They have insecurities and struggles and they journey right till the very end….even then they still have things to sort out but I love that. I love knowing how much they have blossomed throughout the books and opened themselves up. It makes the books that much more real.

Five Exotic Fantasies is about Coco and Felix. In Wellington to investigate an alleged sexual assault claim in the Wellington law firm, Felix and Coco go out one night after a brief coffee shop encounter and then another at the law firm and Coco divulges all her fantasies to Felix. In turn, Felix offers to show her what she’s been missing for one night only and Coco agrees.

What starts as one night, equates to more…Felix shows Coco what she is missing, but most of all, his heart is healing and both of them are starting to fall for each other, despite knowing one another a few days. What do Felix and Coco do? Ignore everything and put it down to a great few days together or find a way to be together?

Veronica and Coco are the same people. Veronica or The Dragon as she is called in work is one strict and straight-laced woman. She takes no shit, she will tell you off if you get things wrong, she will bust your ass and you know not to get on the wrong side of her. She has a different persona in work, which involves hair scrapped back into a bun, a skirt just a little above the knees and a blouse buttoned up. She puts glasses on to make her more ‘sophisticated’ but the one thing that sounds out is the red lipstick – as when Felix sees her, he says the lipstick is her way of ‘begging to be kissed.’

Work and social Veronica/Coco are completely different people. They are polar opposites and the other end of the spectrum. She is feared in work.

But outside, Coco’s life couldn’t be more different. She looks after her wheel-chair bound mother, working her ass off to support both of them, to put food on the table and Coco doesn’t have a social life or really have any friends apart from Amy, who works in the HR Department. She spends all her time looking after her mum and feels absolutely guilty if she leaves her alone. Felix can see straight through her and despite only being in Wellington for a couple of days to investigate the sexual assault allegations, he makes her see and feel more during those few days than she ever has.

As I’ve mentioned, Veronica or Miss Stark is straight-laced. She goes by her job, getting it done, making sure there are no mistakes and people respect her enough to stay on her good side. By in the ‘real world’ she is a normal girl, who wears flouncy dresses, wears her hair down, and acts girly, but she also has a secret life from the office. No one knows anything about her at work and she wants it to stay that way. She loves her mother to death, would do anything for her and she knows that a family of her own wont happen because her mother needs her. She’s spunky yet she definitely has a vulnerable and shy side, but with Felix’ help, he brings her out of her shell and it was lush to watch her grow into this confident and sexy woman, who began to think about her future and what was going to happen, something she had always kept hidden away from her mind.

Enter Felix. She briefly meets him in a coffee shop where she is ‘Coco.’ But what surprises her is when he walks into her office at work where she is Miss Stark and it startles both of them, least of all Coco. And this is where it all begins.

Felix is hired by the co-owner of the Wellington Law branch to investigate a sexual assault allegation made by one of the secretaries about the other co-owner. As someone who has never met either, Felix is the perfect choice to be neutral. If you have read Six Naughty Nights, you will know that Felix is Toby’s older brother and is single and just a bit cheeky and flirty.

But behind this exterior, is someone who has loved and lost and many years later is still hurting from it. He has gone through plenty of girls, never staying with them any longer than a couple of months due to feeling guilty about moving on. When he meets the two different sides of Coco, he is instantly drawn to her and definitely wants to know more about her. When he does, he proposes a night of passion to let her see what she was missing but one night isnt enough and so begins the five nights of fulfilling Coco’s erotic fantasies. What could go wrong? Oh you will find out.

Felix is definitely a guy who girls flock to but there is something more to him. He knows the pain of losing someone he loved, he still hurts. But spending time with Coco, discovering and getting to know her, the pain is slowly fading and although he will always love her, his heart is healing, and he is falling for Coco…hard! Felix is sweet and caring, he’s smart and always goes that one step further to make sure everything he does – with the fantasies – will make a resounding lasting memory for Coco. He makes her see how normal her fantasies are, how much he wants to make her dreams come true and to see her smile and laugh and happy because of him, because of what he did for her.

I definitely fell that bit in love with Felix. From thinking outside the box with the fantasies, thinking of ways to make her confident about them, about having sex and owning her sexuality with him. He really knows his way around Coco’s body too, makes sure she feels intense pleasure, something she didn’t do with her ex, and gets her to open to to him, something which she never really does either.

For someone who you think will be a bad boy at first impressions, he really is a sensual guy, who likes to hold hands and cuddles but also owns your body in the bedroom. I also loved delving into his head too, knowing his thoughts and feelings towards Coco and how he was stuck about what to do, much like Coco was. He only had a few days yet he was in love with Coco. Coco loved him too, never feeling love for anyone, not even her ex and she was stuck too, wanting Felix but she couldn’t leave her mother alone.

So what happens? What do they do? Well, you will have to read and find out yourself but I was tweeting a lot about wanting Felix to stay but I suppose you’ll have to see what happens.

Serenity’s sex scenes are ones that I LOVE TO READ. She spices them up, mixes them up and throughout the series no sex scene are ever the same. They are completely different and frigging hot as hell, steamy as hell and get me a fan right now. She really makes me wish I had a boyfriend so I can rein-act these scenes because if I can get hot reading them, damn I want to try them. Coco and Felix’ scenes had me in tenterhooks….I was all hot and bothered and that one scene outside and the one where she was blindfolded! FUCK ME FELIX. OH god, I read these two on the bus to work and yeah, that wasn’t a great idea….but more than the sex, you can see just how hot the chemistry and attraction between the both of them is and truly, I love this couple to death. They both brought out foreign feelings that were hidden away and their journey, alone and together makes them so special to one another.

As someone who took a law module for three years in university, I loved reading about the case, about the findings and everything Felix had to do. I was really interesting and it was a great mix into the story, especially as Coco is some way involved in what was going on. I cannot love this book anymore than I do! I REALLY need to get this series in paperback badly!

If you have yet to experience the delights and wonders of Serenity’s work and especially this series then really, go and get the books and love all the characters like I do. Rusty, Toby and Felix are sexy and amazing guys who you will instantly fall in love with and its so hard to pick a favourite that I could want a sandwich with all of them please. These books are much more than sex. It journeys both characters to learn how to love, how to accept themselves and be selfish once in a while, but it also shows that when you find ‘the one’ you will do whatever to make sure you have them for ever.

————————————————————–

Five Exotic Fantasies purchase links:

Amazon UK: £3.89
Amazon US: $6.37

Cover Reveal

COVER REVEAL: Four Seconds To Lose – K.A Tucker

Posted on September 12, 2013September 11, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

TITLE: Four Seconds To Lose (#3)
AUTHOR: K.A Tucker
GENRE: NA/Romance
RELEASE DATE: 4th November 2013

Synopsis

Owning a strip club isn’t the fantasy most guys expect it to be. With long hours, a staff with enough issues to keep a psych ward in business, and the police regularly on his case, twenty-nine year old Cain is starting to second guess his unspoken mission to save the women he employs. And then blond, brown-eyed Charlie Rourke walks through his door, and things get really complicated. Cain abides by a strict “no sleeping with the staff” rule. But being around Charlie challenges Cain’s self-control…and it’s been a long time since any woman has done that.

Twenty-two-year old Charlie Rourke needs a lot of money, really fast, in order to vanish before it’s too late. Taking her clothes off for men makes her stomach curl but Charlie tells herself that at least she’s putting her acting and dancing skills to good use. And though her fellow dancers seem eager to nab their sexy, sophisticated, and genuinely caring boss, she’s not interested. After all, Charlie Rourke doesn’t really exist—and the girl pretending to be her doesn’t need to complicate her life with romance.

Unfortunately, Charlie soon discovers that developing feelings for Cain is inevitable, that those feelings may not be unrequited—but losing him when he finds out what she’s involved with will be more painful than any other sentence awaiting her.

————————————————————————————–

ABOUT K.A. TUCKER:

Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen 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 the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

—————————————————————–

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Four-Seconds-Lose-Novel-ebook/dp/B00BSBVGZI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378843471&sr=8-1&keywords=Four+Seconds+to+Lose+k.a.tucker

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/four-seconds-to-lose-ka-tucker/1115379355?ean=9781476740508&itm=1&usri=four+seconds+to+lose+k.a.+tucker

Other Retailers: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Four-Seconds-to-Lose/K-A-Tucker/9781476740492

LINKS:

Blog: http://www.katucker.blogspot.ca/
Website: http://www.katuckerbooks.com/
Author Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/K.A.Tucker.Author?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kathleenatucker
Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4866520.K_A_Tucker

Atria: http://imprints.simonandschuster.biz/atria

————————————————————————

TEN TINY BREATHS, releases in paperback on September 24, 2013!

M. Leighton, Promotional Events

RELEASE DAY: Everything For Us (#3) – M.Leighton

Posted on September 3, 2013September 1, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

EVERYTHING FOR US Synopsis:

When it comes to passion this hot, it’s all or nothing.

Olivia Townsend’s wealthy cousin Marissa had everything a girl could ask for—a great job, a privileged life, and all the friends she wanted. Or, at least, all the friends money could buy. But one case of mistaken identity has turned her privileged world upside down.

An abduction gone wrong lands her right in the lap of the sexiest, most dangerous man she’s ever met. To Marissa, he’s an enigma, but one to whom she’s irresistibly, inexplicably drawn.

With him comes a new world of freedom and passion, of dark shadows and dangerous secrets, a world where nothing is what it seems—except for the blind passion that Marissa can’t escape—or maybe even survive.

5 /5 Stars

Down To You review HERE
Up To Me review HERE

————————————————————————————————–

My Review

*Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of Everything For Us in return of an honest review for the release day*

When I first found out about Down To You, I knew I had to have that book in my life. I demolished it right away, fell in love with Cash, loved Olivia, the sex was hot, the secret was madness and I hated Marissa. Up to Me was the same. Loved every single bit of it, the action, the love, the heroic actions of Cash and Gavin, the fear of Olivia and Marissa’s lives, and of course, the jack Daniels scene. By Jesus, that was shitting hot and of course THE HUGE BLOODY SECRET THAT COMES OUT! FRIGGING HELL. If you’ve read my review of Up To Me then you will see that came as a major surprise to me.

So when there was a third book, I wanted more of Cash and Olivia, but when it turned out it wasn’t their book, but Marissa’s, well I wasn’t sure what to expect. She was a complete bitch to Olivia, a spoilt brat and only cared about herself, yet there was something that changed in her when she was kidnapped in Up To Me and perhaps she could redeem herself somehow in Everything For Us? I knew I had to see how she would do it, and I was so glad I got to read this before the release day.

M.Leighton’s Bad Boy series is a series that is a must read. She really knows how to draw you in, makes you want to read and not sleep, makes you want to read super-fast to know the secrets and everything in the book to wanting to read really slowly and cherish every moment inside the book. And Everything For Us was not a disappointment at all. As soon as I downloaded this, I was straight to reading it, wanting to know about HIM and Marissa. I’m sure you all know who HIM is but I won’t spoil his name…not yet anyway.

This review will mention HIS name though, although most of you know exactly whom I am on about, being such loyal Bad Boy girls 😉 but for those who haven’t read the books, I’m warning you, because names will be dropped.

I’d like to say that M. Leighton has done it again. Everything For Us is a fantastic addition to the Bad Boys series. It ties up everything that we want to know from the past two books and we get to see more love, more drama with the Davenport boys, but we also get to see happy endings and a budding romance? Quite possibly. I hope M. Leighton will be writing a book for Gavin 😉

I was swooning, smiling, frustrated. I cried, I laughed, I shouted at the characters, I threw my phone down but most importantly, I was sucked into the story, wishing for Marissa to redeem herself and for Nash to be brought back into society after seven years at sea where he clearly withdrew from all human nature and feelings.

We first meet Nash at the end of Up To Me. His entrance was one of a shock to me and Everything For Us is his and Marissa’s story. Nash is a strong character, he’s had to grow up pretty damn fast and he’s grown up and developed this tough and rough exterior over the past seven years. He’s had to, to survive. He’s numb, he feels nothing and hates that he’s lived his life that way, but the anger he has just won’t go away and the need for revenge is all he knows. He needs revenge on the guys who murdered his mother and destroyed his life.

But over the book we see him falter, we see him begin to care, not just for his brother but for Marissa too. We see him give more to her than he’s ever given anyone. Although he’s cemented in his ways, he reveals things to her that he’s never told anyone, never wanted to reveal but he cares for her, he can’t stop thinking about her. It was so nice to see this tough guy slowly begin to fall for Marissa, but their relationship was anything but easy for them. They got together just to show each other a good time but over time, they both fall for one another yet they don’t say anything about their feelings. This is where you just want to bang their heads together and be like “YOU BOTH WANT MORE FROM EACH OTHER, JUST TALK”

It’s no surprise that I didn’t like Marissa in the first two books. She was selfish and a bitch and didn’t give a shit about anyone but since the kidnapping, it’s shocked her, as it would anyone and shocked her into changing. She dislikes who she used to be and is set on changing her ways, on gaining forgiveness for her actions and being the person she truly is meant to be, even if it means defying her daddy and losing her ‘posh bitch’ friends. She wants to be a good person and I was so proud of her for the way she dealt with everything, the way that she was also petrified but she pushed past it and came out the other side stronger.

With Nash he pushed her, was out to prove she could do it and she could. She pushed her boundaries on her own and with Nash (in the bedroom) and you will feel towards her – be proud of her and the way she changes and handles things.

At the end, you will love Marissa and Nash, be so happy that Marissa redeems herself and that Nash integrates back into society, that they find love with each other. Their sexual chemistry was something that you couldn’t ignore when you read it. It’s sizzling and passionate and the sex scenes just intensify their ‘relationship’. Marissa is pushed and shown things she hasn’t done before and she actually likes it. She needed someone to bring it out of her and Nash really owns her body like no other. You can easily see they should be together even if there is a secret that Nash is keeping that could come out and destroy them – even though they aren’t together.

I know you all want to know if Cash and Olivia are in this book and the answer is a big fat YES! They are the couple we all fell in love with and their story, despite not having a great involvement, does progress and we see snippets of them together and what their future holds. I loved the parts they were in because throughout everything they have been through, their love is stronger than ever.

M. Leighton really ties up everything in this book with the family secret and the murder. I loved that she gave them all a happy ending too and I can honestly say I cried at the last scene. Okay, so I always cry but this part, it was the damn sweetest ending I could ever imagine for Marissa, Nash, Cash and Olivia. Here is to knowing about Gavin and Ginger now 😉

—————————————————————————————————–

M.Leighton Bio:

M. Leighton is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Wild Ones and The Bad Boys romance trilogies. She is a native of Ohio, relocated to the warmer climates of the South, where she lets her mind wander to romantic settings with sexy Southern guys much like the one she married and the ones you’ll find in her latest books. When her thoughts aren’t roaming in that direction, she’ll be riding horses, swimming in ponds and experiencing life on a ranch, all without leaving the cozy comfort of her office.

For more about M. Leighton, visit her website at www.MLeightonBooks.blogspot.com or follow her on Twitter@mleightonbooks.

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Everything-Us-Bad-Boys-ebook/dp/B00BF08AM4/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1377743422&sr=8-1&keywords=everything+for+us+m+leighton

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/everything-for-us-m-leighton/1114551121?ean=9781101637456&itm=1&usri=everything+for+us+m+leighton

Links:

Blog: http://mleightonbooks.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mleightonbooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MLeightonAuthor

Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1152263.M_Leighton

EVERYTHING FOR US Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17228519-everything-for-us?ac=1

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/M.-Leighton/e/B004LL0TAU/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Berkley: http://www.us.penguingroup.com/

Berkley Twitter: https://twitter.com/BerkleyRomance

Berkley Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PenguinGroupUSA

Rafflecopter Embed Code:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal

COVER REVEAL: Be My Downfall – Lyla Payne

Posted on August 8, 2013August 16, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

TITLE: Be My Downfall
AUTHOR: Lyla Payne
GENRE: New Adult
RELEASE DATE: Fall 2013

Synopsis

Toby Wright has always prided himself on being one of the most normal guys at Whitman University. He loves his parents, has a great job lined up after graduation, and with the exception of attempting to cross the unbalanced Sebastian Blair sophomore year, has kept his nose pretty clean.

But the rich never have empty closets, and memories long stashed away come spilling free when notorious party girl Kennedy Gilbert almost dies in his bathroom.

Nobody really knows how Kennedy manages to stay in good standing at Whitman–she never goes to class, doesn’t pretend to care about her future, and as far as people can tell, is never sober. This isn’t her first meeting with a stomach pump, but it is the first time she’s woken up to Toby’s concerned brown eyes. Despite the fact that she prefers life without friends, he gets under her skin with his insistence on playing her guardian angel.

No one knows better than Toby that people can only be saved if they want to be, but the realization that she has no one else draws him back into the shadows of Kennedy’s life–and eventually into her bed. But she long ago came to terms with a truth that Toby refuses to accept: she doesn’t want to be rescued, she only wants to forget.

Unwilling to give up on her, Toby’s dragged under by this broken girl and her dark, twisted Whitman University he never guessed existed. If he struggles to the surface, he’ll abandon someone he loves for the second time in his life. If he doesn’t, it won’t be long until they both drown.

ABOUT LYLA PAYNE:

I’ve long had a love of stories. A few years ago decided to put them down on the page, and even though I have a degree in film and television, novels were the creative outlet where I found a home. I’ve published Young Adult under a different name, but when I got the idea for Broken at Love (my first New Adult title), I couldn’t wait to try something new – and I’m hooked. In my spare time I watch a ton of tennis (no surprise, there), play a ton of tennis, and dedicate a good portion of brain power to dreaming up the next fictitious bad boy we’d all love to meet in real life.

Links:

Goodreads

BE MY DOWNFALL on Goodreads

Tumblr

Website: http://lylapayne.blogspot.com

Facebook

Twitter: @lyla_payne