7/24/2013

Burning Embers by Hannah Fielding

Coral Sinclair has dreamed of returning to her homeland of Africa since she left as a little girl, but certainly not under her present circumstances. At 25, Coral is returning to Africa to claim her inheritance - a plantation and her childhood home, Mpingo - after the death of her father. On her journey from Europe, Coral meets a mysterious and handsome stranger and the connection between the two is instantaneous and strong. After their brief, but powerful, meeting, Coral is left to wonder who her mystery man is.

Days later, she learns that his name is Rafe de Monfort, owner of the neighboring plantation and local nightclub. Rafe has a reputation for being a womanizer and the rumors surrounding him leave Coral unsure of what to believe. As a tentative romance between the two blossoms, Coral's faith is tested by unanswered questions, jealous females, her ex-fiance, relentless rumors, and Rafe's own actions. However when Rafe's life is threatened, Carol rushes to his side. As he recovers, Carol and Rafe must face Rafe's dark past, the truth behind the rumors, and the differences keeping them apart, if they ever hope of having a life together.

I was given a copy of Burning Embers in exchange for an honest review. Burning Embers is set in 1970 Kenya and Hannah Fielding does a remarkable job transporting the reader to this time and place. Her descriptions brought vivid images to the mind and are tantalizing to the senses. I wasn't sure how I would respond to this novel, having no real connection to the 1970s or Africa, but I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised. Rafe was tall, dark, mysterious, and everything a girl could ask for in a romantic lead. Coral was relatable, even if her naivete got on my nerves at time. There was plenty of intrigue in the story and a "will they, won't they" feeling that added suspense to the story that kept me turning the page. I would have liked a few more steamy scenes, but there is no denying the chemistry between Rafe and Coral. Overall I rather enjoyed the novel and it would definitely make for a great beach or vacation read.  

7/21/2013

Sink or Swim Cover Reveal & Giveaway


There are some things you just can't walk away from.

When sleeping in vacant warehouses and dark alleys becomes preferable to living at home, something is seriously wrong. But when word reaches Allie that her mother is facing a life threatening illness, she has no choice but to return to the place of nightmares. Leaving wasn't a choice, it was a necessity, and if returning hadn't been equally necessary, Allie never would have set foot back inside that hell-hole.

Dean is no stranger to hardship, but the day Allie walked out of his life, taking his heart right along with her, was hands-down the most frustrating. Six months later, she's back and Dean refuses to rest until he figures out exactly what the hell happened.

Now, Allie's drowning. Drowning in lies. Drowning in the truth. Drowning in pain, and anger, and fear. But there comes a time when every drowning person must decide whether they will . . . Sink or Swim?

Release Date: July 2013

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Teaser #1 
~Allie~

Alli!”

Her eyes shot open and she groaned against the light pouring into the room. It was eight-fourteen, according to the clock on the DVD player. Even crashing on the couch, she hadn’t slept that good in months. Home may have been its own brand of hell, but it did have its perks.

Abrupt knocking reminded her of what had woken her in the first place.

“I’m not going anywhere, Alli, so you might as well open the damn door.”
Dean. Dammit. What the hell was he thinking? If he woke her father up . . . Crap! Alli scrambled off the couch and threw open the door.

“What are you doing?”

“Waiting for you to get off your ass and open the damn—” He stopped short and just stared at her. Her in her old board shorts and cami she’d worn to bed last night. Shit. “What the fuck? Get dressed.”

“What do you mean ‘get dressed’?”

“I mean . . . get your bony ass body into some damn clothes right now so I can get you something to eat.” Oh boy, bossy Dean was back full force and damn if it wasn’t still hot.

“I don’t need—”
“Don’t give me that crap. And don’t you dare try and tell me you don’t need to eat. Look at you, Al. What the hell happened to you?”

“Nothing. And I don’t—”

“Get. Dressed.” Not a request. “Or you’re going like that. Actually, I kind of like that idea.”

Dammit, she couldn’t keep standing there, arguing with him. They were definitely going to wake up her father. “Give me ten minutes.”

“You’ve got five,” he sniped as she shut the door in his face.



Teaser #2
~Dean~

Christ, that girl. He’d made every mistake there was to make with that girl. The day she left, he’d made the biggest idiot mistake of them all. He’d told her exactly how he felt. Said those three little words that he knew would change everything. Just not how he had hoped. He’d opened his heart to her and watched as she walked right in and tore it out. It wasn’t even that she didn’t say it back. It wasn’t even that she’d broken up with him. No, not her. She’d run. For the fucking hills. As far from him as she could get. Those three little words had driven her right out of town.
...

He thought he’d let his hurt and anger burn away all of those emotions over the past six months, but damn if seeing her standing there with her hair braided down her back like one of his many school girl fantasies hadn’t brought it all right back up. Along with a certain body part. Shit!

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Want a chance to win a digital copy of Sink or Swim? All you have to do is go to Jamie's FB page (https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJamieCanosa?ref=hl) and share the cover pic pinned to the top, then comment on Jamie's FB pages that you shared the pic. She will randomly choose a winner. Good luck!

Make sure to check back on August 10th when Book Lover's Paradise will be hosting a stop on Jamie's Sink or Swim blog tour, including my review, author spotlight and giveaway.

Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover

Losing Hope is the companion novel to Colleen Hoover's Hopeless (review here), one of my favorite books of all time. Hopeless is the story of Sky, a sheltered 17 year old, whose world is changed forever after an encounter with Dean Holder at the grocery store. While Sky and Dean fall for each other, the secrets of their pasts unfold, shattering everything they know. Together they will have to find the strength to confront the past and find hope again.

"I've never looked forward before. I've always looked back. I think about the past way too much and I think about what I should have done and everything I did wrong and I've never once looked forward in my life. Being with her had me thinking about tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that and next year and forever."

Losing Hope is Dean's side of the story and we get to see the events of Hopeless through his perspective, as well as learn more about Dean's life before he finds Sky. This book is not a straight retelling of Hopeless and truly is a companion novel. You NEED to read Hopeless before you read Losing Hope. Questions will be answered like where Dean went for a year and why he returned, how he felt when he saw the bracelet, why he stayed away for a month, and more.

I love Dean Holder. He is one of my favorite book boyfriends, but I fell in love with him all over again in Losing Hope. This book adds so much dimension to his character and the emotion in the story was both heartbreaking and heart swelling. As much as Dean helps Sky to heal in Hopeless, it wasn't until reading Losing Hope that I realized the depth of Dean's suffering and how much Sky helps to heal him in return. This book was perfection for me and if I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. It was everything I expected and then some. It added so much more clarity and understanding to the story and didn't once feel like fluff. Colleen Hoover is amazing and I am so grateful that she wrote it. After reading Losing Hope, I'm left with the feeling that Sky and Dean's story has come full circle and I feel hopeful, very hopeful.

"Time has completely stopped, and all I'm thinking about while we kiss is how this is what saves people. Moments like these with people like her are what make all the suffering worth it. It's moments like these that keep people looking forward and I can't believe I've let them slip by for an entire month. I know I told her that she's never really been kissed before, but until this moment I had no idea that I had never really been kissed before. Not like this. Every kiss, every moment, every moan, every touch of her hand on against my skin. She's my saving grace. My Hope. And I'm never walking away from her again."

7/18/2013

The Breathing Series by Rebecca Donovan

Book I: Reason to Breathe
Emma Thomas does her best to appear invisible. Sure she is a star athlete, belongs to several clubs, and is a stellar student, but beyond that she tries desperately to fly under the radar. The drive behind Emma's perfection is survival. Emma has a secret - a secret that is a matter of life and death for her. No one knows the truth of the hell she lives in except Sara, her best friend, and even she doesn't know the whole truth.

When Evan Matthews shows up, Emma finds her world turned on it's head. Evan doesn't ignore Emma like everyone else and sees her in a way that no one has before. Emma is drawn to Evan, even though she knows she can't ever tell him the truth. Even as Emma falls for Evan, she pushes him away, desperate to protect her secret. Evan, who guesses Emma's secret, becomes one of the few things in Emma's life that motivate her to keep breathing and not give up. But when the web of secrets begins to unravel, Emma finds herself facing a choice that will change her life forever - to stay or to go?

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Book II: Barely Breathing
Everyone knows Emma's secret, but her aunt can't hurt her anymore. With Sara and Evan at her side, Emma must now start to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. When her mother asks her to come and live with her, Emma takes the opportunity to rebuild the relationship with her only surviving parent. But some things cannot be fixed, and Emma will find herself once again facing the realities of her past. Believing that she only brings destruction to those she loves, Emma leaves everything and everyone behind as she leaves for California, even more broken than before and hoping for a new start.



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Book III: Out of Breath
It's been two years since Emma left everything and everyone behind her in Weslyn. Now at Stanford, Emma is not the same girl that she used to be. She is a shell of her former self and completely broken, struggling daily to stay numb and move on from her past. When another tragedy brings Evan and Emma back together, Emma must face her past once and for all and gain the forgiveness that is holding her back, or risk losing Evan for good.





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This series is an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. It has you flying high, only to plunge you back into heartache. There were times where I had to put the story down and walk away for a bit, because it is that intense at times. The series deals with some pretty heavy subject matter and Emma is a truly amazing character. She manages to survive everything life throws at her time and time again. Her strength and ability to keep moving forward are amazing. 

Evan is also amazing and worthy of the title of book boyfriend. His love of Emma, even after everything she puts him through, is unconditional. He refuses to give up on her and is a pillar of strength. But he's also not perfect, and for me that is the key to their love story. They are not perfect, but they are perfect together. There were times throughout the series where I wanted to scream because it was so obvious that they belonged together, but as I learned in the Slammed series by Colleen Hoover, "sometimes things have to fall apart so that they can fall back together." 

Be prepared for some serious cliffhangers in books one and two, but overall I am pleased with how the series ended. There is a lot that could be explored in the future and I did feel that there were a few loose ends to tie up. I would love to know what happens next for Evan and Emma, but am content for now with where their story ends up at the conclusion of book three. This series is definitely worth the read, even if you might be an emotional wreck afterwards.

7/09/2013

Round Two: Vote for Lucas! & Some Giveaways


It's that time again! Round two of the NA Crush Tourney for Lucas is today, so vote early and vote often! Tammara says that IF Lucas wins the whole thing she will post a scene from Easy in Lucas' POV! If that's not incentive then I don't know what is!

TO VOTE CLICK HERE

Need a reminder as to why you should vote for Lucas? Check out the video below...


And now for some giveaways...

The Romance Cover is running a giveaway for 2 sets of signed bookplates by Tammara Webber (bookplates are B & W, 3 x 4 inches, and adhesive-backed). These can be stuck into your copy of EASY thus giving you a signed book. All people have to do to enter to win a set is vote for Lucas. Here is the link to the giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/ZDI0NTBkMzYwZTVhYjA1MDA3ZGYxY2M0OTdiMmQ2OjQ2/

The Romance Cover also has a giveaway going on for a signed copy of EASY. To enter go here: http://www.theromancecover.com/p/nacrushtourney-t.html

7/02/2013

Why Should You Vote for Lucas? Because It's Easy...

As part of the street team of Lucas from Easy by Tammara Webber, I invite you to meet one of my favorite book boyfriends and see why he is a total hottie. The following post was put together by Willow and Donna over at The Romance Cover, who are the official advocates for Lucas.

Here's just a few reasons why you should vote for Lucas:




It's EASY to vote for Lucas..... Just look at his bio:
Name: Lucas
Eye Colour: Clear gray - blue
Hair: Dark
Build: Medium but muscled
Height: 6ft 2in
Distinguishing Features: He has some hot tattoos and a lip ring

It's EASY to vote for Lucas because:

He's Artistic - He loves sketching and drawing, especially his girl.

He's intelligent – Economics private tutor, engineering major

He rides a motorbike – need we say more!

He's a protector - He rescued Jacqueline from a dangerous situation without even knowing her and continues to do so.

He works hard - he has many jobs to put himself through Uni.

He's fit and security conscious - he teaches self-defence classes, master of Taekwondo.

He’s been through alot but came out the other side a better person, whereas others would have just given up.

He respects Jacqueline - he doesn't want to rush with her:


"Jacqueline say stop" I shook my head once, my palm sliding down to press against the evidence of what his body wanted from me. "Don't Stop," I breathed, telling him that I wanted what he wanted, unconditionally. I kissed him back, sure in the knowledge that my actions and my words were all the confirmation he needed to continue. I was wrong."Say stop, please. Please." The last word whispered was a plea I couldn't deny, even if I didn't understand the reason for it.

He's attentive

“I noticed you the first week. Not just because of how pretty you are, though of course, that played into it. It was the way you lean onto your elbows when you're listening in class, when something catches your interest. And when you laugh, it's never to get attention, it's just-laughter. The way you obsessively tuck your hair behind your ear on the left side, but let the right side fall down like a screen. And when you're bored, you tap your foot soundlessly and move your fingers on the desktop like you're playing an instrument. I wanted to sketch you.”

He makes good coffee and can cook! - ;-)

Tattoos!!! – yes we know we have mentioned them already, but seriously….


It’s EASY to vote for Lucas..... Just listen how Jacqueline's friends talk about him:

Erin: "Who was that hot guy? If I wasn't stone cold sober, I'd think he was a figment of my sex-starved imagination"

Maggie: "Who was that beautiful guy and more importantly, why didn't you solve your sex-starvedness with him? Holy hell, I think i'd be willing to boot Will outta bed for a night with him" 


It's EASY to vote for Lucas.... Just listen to Jacqueline:

Pulling off the cap and dropping it on my bed, he placed the pencil on his sketchbook and slid both hands through his flattened hair, and then shook it out, resulting in a bed head look. Good God. When he drew the hoodie over his head, his white t-shirt pulled up a bit with it, and I got my answer on how fat the tattoos extended. Four lines of script, too small to read, snaked around his left side. Some sort of Celtic-looking design balanced it on the right. Bonus: I now knew what Erin meant by lickable abs.

“The way he kissed me felt like a brand. Like he was tattooing himself under my skin.”

My last coherent thought, as Lucas took his time kissing and touching every part of me he could reach and my body arched into his, wasOh... so this is what all the fuss is about.”

His breath in my ear, he ran his tongue along the curved edge, sucking the fleshy lobe and my small diamond stud into his mouth, and my eyes drifted closed while I babbled a weak sound of longing.


It's EASY to vote for Lucas..... Just look at our favourite Scene:

“The night we met – I’m not like that guy”. His jaw was rigid. “I know tha-“ He placed a finger over my lips, his expression softening. “So I don’t want you to feel pressured. Or overpowered. But I do, absolutely, want to kiss you right now. Badly.” He trailed his finger over my jaw and down my throat, and then onto his lap.

I stared at him. Finally comprehending that he was waiting for a response, I said “Okay”.

He dropped the pad onto the floor and the pencil followed, his stare never unlocking from mine. As he leaned over me, I felt a heightened sense of awareness of every part of my body that touched a part of his – the edge of his hip pressed to mine, his chest sliding against mine, his fingers tracing from wrists to forearms and then framing my face. He held me in place, lips near my ear. When he kissed the sensitive spot, my breath shuddered. “You’re so beautiful”, he whispered, moving his mouth to mine.

His lips were warm and firm, pressing against mine, and when his tongue began a gentle onslaught against the line of my lips, I opened them. Tongue delving into my mouth, his hands travelled in opposite directions – one to my still crossed wrists, pressing them hard into the mattress above my head, one skimming down my side, digging into my waist. He kissed me harder, claiming the responses he coaxed from me. My head swam, and I was drawing in short bursts of air as if I was surfacing every few seconds before diving deeper. Just when I thought I couldn’t take the intensity, he lessened the pressure and sucked my lower lip softly, brushed his tongue over it, and then repeated the movement. I fidgeted beneath him and his tongue slipped between my lips again and repeated its closer examination – caressing my tongue, my teeth, the roof of my mouth.

If someone had asked, How does this compare to kissing Kennedy? I would have answered, “who?”


Now that is what we call a first kiss!!! Hawt!!!




It's EASY to vote for Lucas..... Just look at our favourite line:

"Choosing to be with you isn't a difficult decision Jacqueline," he breathed, pulling back one final time to stare into my eyes. "It's Easy. Incredibly easy."


So now you know why falling in love with Lucas is so EASY, it makes the decision to vote for Lucas incredibly EASY. Vote Lucas now!