Book Review: Beautiful Ever After

I thought that the first book of this duet was terrific, and I waited avidly for the conclusion of Hutch and Lou’s story. The cliffhanger at the end of the first one set everything up for an exciting ending.

I was therefore disappointed that it felt like not a whole heckuva lot happened in the second book. I mean, don’t get me wrong, a lot did happen, and we certainly got the HEA for Hutch and Lou that they deserved from the first book.

But it didn’t seem as if there was a flow to the plot. I don’t want to give plot points away, but at the end of the first book, there was a big revelation from Blair (Hutch’s sister-in-law). The way that continued in the second book seemed to be thrown together haphazardly – and then it was just…solved. I wanted a much bigger ending for that.

I also thought that the introduction of a group of people towards the end of the book seemed out of the blue. I was intrigued by the characters, but as I got to know them I found myself wishing that there was more of them and less of Hutch and Lou professing their love for each other.

I know that makes me sound cranky, but it just felt that the book was one big bedroom scene with little vignettes of semi-action interspersed. I think there could have been so much more.

That being said, I did like the Bella Mafia, and I would love to read more about them, so I’ll be searching for their stories.

Beautiful Ever After (Beautiful Illusions Duet, #2)

Beautiful Ever After by Georgia Cates
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I loved the first book in this duet. I was utterly taken with the romance between Hutch and Lou, and I had really high hopes for the conclusion. It pains me to say that I was disappointed. I thought everything was set up so well in the first one and then it fell apart in the second. I still loved the romance between the two, but I wasn’t satisfied with the sister-in-law subplot, and there were a bunch of characters who showed up very close to the end. I think it would have been more exciting if they had made an appearance sooner and had more to do. As it was, the story just ended kind of…eh. That being said, Hutch is a book boyfriend to swoon for, and I’d like to see him even as a secondary character in future books. This review was written based on a complimentary digital ARC.

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May 9, 2019May 9, 2019

Book Review: Then Came You

Let me start by saying that I love Kate Meader, and am predisposed to liking anything that she writes. I loved the first book in the Laws of Attraction series, but somehow missed the second one (which I am going to remedy this weekend).

Then Came You is the third in the series, and it is the story of Grant and Aubrey. As per my usual standards, I’m not going to give away major details of how or why they were together before (that’s for blurbs and other reviews). I will say that I enjoyed the fact that I didn’t put together the history of the two right away. And even when I did, the author didn’t go in the usual direction of why the first time around didn’t stick for the two.

These are two strong characters, and it was the second book in a week where the mains shared a profession (the first was Better Than Me). In this case, Grant and Aubrey are both lawyers. I am finding that I like the “battle of the sexes” aspect of the two characters on a level playing field. It adds another dimension to the stories. Plus, it made for a hilarious scene at the beginning of the book!

The strength of the characters also allowed the author to explore their weaknesses. In other words, the plot wasn’t overly complicated with job issues or other distractions; the focus was solely the characters and the events that immediately impacted them within the story.

There isn’t much more that I can say without giving plot points away. I liked the style of the writing, I became invested in the characters…oh, and Aubrey has one of the most dysfunctional, messed up families I’ve ever seen! I love how Cat Damon expresses himself. And I want Libby to be my grandmother.

Side note: would love to see a story focusing on Libby’s younger days…that would be a blast to read!

Anyway, it was a great book, and I am grateful to the author, Loveswept, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read it. Highly recommended.

Then Came You by Kate Meader
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this second-chance romance, because it had a different feel to it than many others. I liked how the author didn’t allow the reader to know precisely what had happened the first time around right away; instead, it unfolded gradually. The slow roll-out of the facts made the actual revelation of what had caused Grant and Aubrey’s break up more of a gut punch. It also gave the reader more of an insight into each of their characters. I loved the juxtaposition of their childhoods (Aubrey’s family is sooo messed up) and thought that the characters remained true to themselves throughout the book. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a smart second-chance romance. Visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews for other reasons this book stands out from others in the genre. This review was written based on a pre-release digital ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group (Loveswept) via NetGalley.

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May 8, 2019May 9, 2019

Blog Tour: Well Suited by Staci Hart

Well Suited, the final standalone in the Red Lipstick Coalition Series from Staci Hart, is available now!

Chemistry is my love language.

I’ve always been able to separate feelings from chemosignals. A shot of dopamine, a dash of serotonin, and a sprinkle of oxytocin—and bam. You’re in love.

And when egg meets sperm, you’re pregnant.

I couldn’t even be surprised as I stared down at the little blue plus sign, because I knew exactly when and how, and with whom it happened.

When: approximately five weeks ago. Who: one night stand. How: prophylactic malfunction.

The upside? I don’t have to go looking for a suitable mate.

Genetically, he’s the cream of the crop. His musculature is a study in symmetry and strength, his height imposing and dominant. He is a man who thrives on control and command, a man who survives on intelligence and resourcefulness. A perfect male specimen.

And the whole package is wrapped up in a flawlessly tailored suit.

I’m having this baby, and he insists we’re well-suited to have it together. And what’s worse? He wants more, in the way of love and marriage.

But love isn’t real. It’s just a product of chemistry.

And if he changes my mind about that, we’re both in trouble.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2V07dpi Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/WellSuitedSH

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2JjTzbd

About the Author

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life — a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can’t forget that. She’s also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She’s been a wife, though she’s certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She’s also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she’s been drinking whiskey.

From roots in Houston to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.

Connect with Staci:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2hv5OA5 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stacihartnovels Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quirkybird/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/imaquirkybird Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/imaquirkybird/ Website: http://stacihartnovels.com Stay up to date with Staci by joining her mailing list: http://stacihartnovels.com/get-the-newsletter/ Join Her Reader Group Here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stacihart/

May 7, 2019May 7, 2019

NEW RELEASE: Sweet Home Louisiana

NOW AVAILABLE! Here’s a reminder of why you need to go grab this book today!

Sweet Home Louisiana, an all-new sexy, small town, second chance rom com from New York Times bestselling author Erin Nicholas, is available now!

Thanks to a drawn-up-while-drinking-moonshine partnership agreement, Madison Allain has to spend thirty days back on the bayou before she can sell her part of the family business.

And if the heat and humidity and freaking alligators of Louisiana aren’t enough to agitate the cool and in-control California girl, then Owen Landry, the equally hot guy who stole her heart twelve years ago, will sure do the trick.

Owen just has to remember three simple-ish rules: Do not fight with her. Do not fight *over* her. Do *not* kiss her. He can do this. He’s charming and friendly for a living after all. But this is Maddie. The only woman to ever shake up this laid-back bayou boy.

Besides, she’s not staying. No way. These people and this town make her crazy. She doesn’t want to be crazy. She definitely does *not* want to own a swamp boat tour company. She just wants to paint. In her quiet, beautiful, alligators-not-allowed, *air-conditioned* art studio.

As for that hot bayou boy? Well, he’s…amazing. But he belongs here in the South. And she definitely doesn’t. Even if her heart stays behind when she leaves.

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2IeBN7M

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2FZZE7q

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/SweetHomeLA

Nook: http://bit.ly/2Gg0fDw

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2GfO3T3

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2X5aLmK

Start the series of standalones with My Best Friend’s Mardi Gras Wedding

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2UBLtPk

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2VkWIZ4

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/MardiGrasErin

Nook: http://bit.ly/2WRqc1M

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2YTnZoj

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2TXbuo0

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2WWEVIT

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2BRrdPo

About Erin Nicholas

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Erin Nicholas has been writing romances almost as long as she’s been reading them. To date, she’s written over thirty sexy, contemporary novels that have been described as “toe-curling,” “enchanting,” “steamy,” and “fun.” She adores reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines, and happily ever afters. Erin lives in the Midwest, where she enjoys spending time with her husband (who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books), her kids (who will never read the sex scenes in her books), and her family and friends (who claim to be “shocked” by the sex scenes in her books).

Connect with Erin

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2Ghek4N

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2BqNKSU

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2WSZxlR

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2GAUZeb

Website: https://erinnicholas.com

Stay up to date with Erin by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2Gj56oC

May 7, 2019May 7, 2019

New Release: Heartthrob by Robin Bielman

Now available! Hop over to my review to see why I highly recommend this one!

He likes a challenge…

Heartthrob, an all-new sexy and hilarious standalone from USA Today bestselling author Robin Bielman, is available now!

Here’s the deal: I’m the best center fielder in the major leagues. I’m also the guy who cost his team the championship game and acted very unsportsmanlike. So, when the team hires a social media manager to repair the damage to my reputation, I don’t argue. But then I meet Chloe Conrad, and I suddenly understand what people mean when they say they have an instant connection to someone. Which means I’m in serious trouble. Chloe’s a smart, sexy distraction I can’t afford, but one date can’t hurt, right? Only she turns me down. And just like that, it’s game on.

She’s sworn off love…

Finn Auprince is the hottest player in the major leagues. Look up “It Factor” in the dictionary and there’s his handsome face. He’s also my biggest client and I don’t care how easy it is to talk to him or how fun it is to manage his social media accounts, I will not give in to his charms. Then one drunken night, I tell him about my curse: all my previous boyfriends have found their soul mates while dating me. One more heartbreak, and I’ll never recover. But Finn doesn’t believe in curses—he believes in me. Professionally and personally. He sets out to prove the universe isn’t against me, and that his one true love isn’t waiting around the next corner.

The problem is…can we play the game of love and both come out on top?

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2u5ZNRz

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2tYDQn7

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/Heartthrob

Nook: http://bit.ly/2ST678S

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2SVkxW9

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2VPvytT

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2BRULMH

About Robin Bielman

Robin Bielman is the USA Today bestselling author of over fifteen novels. When not attached to her laptop, she loves to read, go to the beach, frequent coffee shops, and spend time with her husband and two sons. Her fondness for swoon-worthy heroes who flirt and stumble upon the girl they can’t live without jumpstarts most of her story ideas. She writes with a steady stream of caffeine nearby and the best dog on the planet, Harry, by her side. She also dreams of traveling to faraway places and loves to connect with readers. She dreams of traveling to faraway places and loves to connect with readers. Keep in touch at all of her social media spots!

Connect with Robin

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2HoeJSN

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2CggPAS

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2NUXRnI

BookBub: http://bit.ly/2XPxMez

GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2HmiJ6i

Stay up to date with Robin by joining her mailing list:

https://robinbielman.com

May 6, 2019May 6, 2019

New Release: Geeks Against Zombies

Geeks Against Zombies

by Alathia Paris Morgan

Amazon

US | UK | CA | AU

Genre: Apocalyptic / Dystopian

GOODREADS

Sean just wanted to play video games and graduate. When his video game world came to life with zombies, he and his friends put all of their reflexes to good use by trying to stay alive.

Andi Jackson has always had a crush on Sean, but he’s never seen her as more than his little sister’s friend. Vowing that not even a gunshot wound can keep her from chasing down love, can she find a way past the zombies and into his arms?

Join the remaining survivors as they continue their fight Against Zombies in this exciting new installment.

Follow the Author

About the Author

Alathia Paris Morgan is a full-time writer. With the death of her brother in 2013, she decided life was too short to waste the ideas she was given. Since she’d always had stories floating around in her head, she took a shot at writing them down during a NANOWRIMO Camp. She realized quickly that her characters had more than one mystery to solve, which resulted in her Nova Ladies series with a crossover series Murders of the Zodiacs. Now, zombies have joined her world in the Against Zombies series.

With the support and love of her husband, Alathia continues to bring new worlds to life. Their three daughters and three dogs are more than enough to keep her busy when she is not putting words on the page or lost in her imagination.

In her free time, she loves to read and enjoys quilting while watching TV shows.

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May 4, 2019May 4, 2019

Blog Tour: Love & Ghosts

Don’t know about you guys, but I think this one looks like one to definitely pick up!

Presents : Blog Tour

Love & Ghosts

by Carrie Pulkinen

AMAZON | GOODREADS

Series: Crescent City Ghost Tours; Book One

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Love in the Big Easy shouldn’t be so hard.

Trying to add some excitement to her life, Emily Rollins accepts a dare to kiss a masked stranger at a charity ball. Fireworks ignite with that simple kiss, and she longs to learn more about the enchanting man. But Emily has lost so much of her heart already; succumbing to his charm is the last thing she needs.

Sean LeBlanc is a medium who runs the most popular haunted tour company in New Orleans. When Emily shows up on his ghost tour, with no idea he’s the mystery man from the ball, the long-buried emotions she unearthed in him are rekindled, and he’s convinced he can learn to love again. The problem is Emily doesn’t believe in the supernatural.

Just as Sean begins to open her mind to the existence of spirits and the possibility of love, a mysterious wooden box with a sinister power arrives on Emily’s doorstep, threatening her sanity and her life. If Sean can’t convince her ghosts are real, her disbelief will doom them both.

Follow the Author

About the Author

Carrie Pulkinen is a paranormal romance author who has always been fascinated with things that go bump in the night. Of course, when you grow up next door to a cemetery, the dead (and the undead) are hard to ignore. Pair that with her passion for writing and her love of a good happily-ever-after, and becoming a paranormal romance romance seems like the only logical career choice.

Before she decided to turn her love of the written word into a career, Carrie spent the first part of her professional life as a high school journalism and yearbook teacher. She loves good chocolate and bad pens, and in her free time, she likes to read, drink wine, and travel with her family.

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May 2, 2019May 2, 2019

New Release: Well Suited

Well Suited, the final standalone in the Red Lipstick Coalition Series from Staci Hart, is available now!

Chemistry is my love language.

I’ve always been able to separate feelings from chemosignals. A shot of dopamine, a dash of serotonin, and a sprinkle of oxytocin—and bam. You’re in love.

And when egg meets sperm, you’re pregnant.

I couldn’t even be surprised as I stared down at the little blue plus sign, because I knew exactly when and how, and with whom it happened.

When: approximately five weeks ago. Who: one night stand. How: prophylactic malfunction.

The upside? I don’t have to go looking for a suitable mate.

And the whole package is wrapped up in a flawlessly tailored suit.

I’m having this baby, and he insists we’re well-suited to have it together. And what’s worse? He wants more, in the way of love and marriage.

But love isn’t real. It’s just a product of chemistry.

And if he changes my mind about that, we’re both in trouble.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2V07dpi Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/WellSuitedSH

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2JjTzbd

About the Author

Connect with Staci:

May 2, 2019May 2, 2019

Excerpt: Nothing But Trouble

Excerpt from NOTHING BUT TROUBLE by Amy Andrews CC blasted a superior look in Wade’s direction. He was eating cookies, and crumbs had stuck to his lips. The sudden urge to lick those crumbs off those lips hit her out of the blue. Who knew farmer porn got more interesting with the addition of cookie crumbs? She knew they made ice cream better, but… Oh, for crying out loud—what in hell was with her today? Was she delirious? Or did every woman who entered the Credence town limits suddenly develop a thing for the town’s number one son? Like he needed any more adoration. Welcome to Credence, Colorado, population 2,134. Birthplace of Wade “The Catapult” Carter. That’s what the welcome sign had said on the way in today. She’d thought it kinda funny and had given him some shit about it, but maybe it had been some kind of portent? A warning to poor, unsuspecting females. Beware, all ye who enter here, estrogen hazard ahead. “We don’t name them, anyway,” Wade said, breaking into her analysis. Cal nodded. “That’s right, darlin’. Mighty hard to eat something that’s going to end up in burgers and sausages when it has a name.” CC gasped, horrified, looking down into Wilburta’s—she’d already feminized the name, despite her earlier insistence—pretty face. “What, all of them? Don’t you…” She glanced between Wade and his father. “Keep some? Like for…kids’ parties and…petting zoos and stuff?” Wade laughed again. “Hell no. But dibs on suggesting it to Wyatt.”

Honestly, if you haven’t run to get this yet….WHY NOT?!?!??

May 1, 2019May 1, 2019

Book Review: The Invited

I have started putting notes into books as I read them, so I can remember what I was thinking or feeling at a certain point. It helps me with reviews later, especially when my mind is a jumble of all of the things I want to say – like it is right now with The Invited by Jennifer McMahon. I requested this one on NetGalley, and boy am I glad that I received approval!

One of my first notes in this book was “I am Helen.” It makes me so much more invested in the story when I can instantly identify with a character. Everything Helen did in this book, from her attitude about events to her motivations for her actions, was something that I could see myself doing. I loved her tenacity, her desire to find the truth and especially her love of history.

The foreshadowing and omens in this book were plentiful and entirely natural in the course of the plot. None of them were overtly apparent or seemed out of place as a way to play “gotcha” with the reader. The suspense built gradually and kept me turning pages quickly. There were nods to real historical events (Salem Witch Trials; Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire) that intertwined seamlessly with the mystery plot.

Most of all, I really liked how the author tied everything together. There were no loose ends, and the puzzle was solved piece by piece. I did guess a few points or at least had suspicions confirmed, but they weren’t totally obvious; it took some sleuthing on my own.

If you like twisty mysteries with a hint of the paranormal, you will love this book. My Goodreads review is below.

NOW AVAILABLE

The Invited by Jennifer McMahon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this book, which was kind of cool because the book kept surprising me at every turn. At times haunting and mysterious but always compelling, the story kept me riveted. The mood created by the author with the opening scene sets the tone for what is to come while making the whole story seem timeless. (The concept of a Salem, MA type of attitude in 1920s Vermont was genius!) It was a pleasure to be able to draw parallels and find connections as Helen uncovered information, and there were many “aha!” moments. This was a page turner that I cannot recommend highly enough. Visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews for more details. This review was written based on a pre-release digital ARC provided by NetGalley.

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