The Temptation of Lila and Ethan (The Secret #3) by Jessica Sorensen

On the surface, Lila Summers appears to have it all - flawless good looks, expensive clothes, a perfect smile. Below the surface, she is anything but perfect. Struggling to keep the demons of a dark past at bay, she engages in reckless behavior to stay numb and hide the truth. Only one person has ever seen behind the facade - Ethan Gregory.

Ethan is the opposite of everything Lila has been taught to want. He's tattooed, poor, and doesn't give a shit about material things. Thrown together as they helped their best friends, Ella and Micha, get together, Ethan and Lila formed a connection that neither one expected. But Ethan has rules. No relationships. Ethan learned long ago that relationships lead only to heartache. Friendship is all he is willing to offer Lila.

Ethan's resolve will be put to the test as everything in Lila's life begins to crumble. Ethan is determined to be there as her friend, but as they grow closer and closer, Ethan finds it harder and harder not to cross the line. As the line between friendship and love blurs, Lila and Ethan must face the demons of their past and decide once and for all whether the connection they have is worth risking it all for.

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This book...I don't even know where to start talking about this book. It was AMAZING! It is PERFECT! After reaching the last page, all I could do was hug my Kindle to my chest. I love these characters and the connection I felt to them was even greater than my connection to Ella and Micha. As far as spin offs go, this is by far one of the best that I have read. Sometimes these books can turn out to be really short fluff pieces, but not this one. It stands on it's own, and although I highly recommend it, you don't need to have read the previous books to enjoy this one.

The sexual tension between these two characters is crazy good and frustrating, and watching them fight it makes for an angst filled emotional journey from start to finish. It was such a pleasure to watch the walls these two characters had built crumble around them, as they slowly gave into each other. Both Lila and Ethan are saved and transformed by love and that's what the sappy, hopeless romantic in me loves most about this book. Not to mention Ethan is totally hot and deserving of the title of Book Boyfriend :)

Jessica Sorensen is one of my favorite new adult authors and has the amazing ability to write these love stories that are tortuously fantastic. Her characters are raw and real, and their stories are angst-filled, emotional page turners. The Temptation of Lila and Ethan is no different. Fantastic 5 start read.

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Up Next in The Secret Series...
Coming December 2013...

The day Ella has waited for is just around the corner. It's the day she'll marry Micha, the love of her life, the light that guided her out of the darkness. It looks like it will be the perfect Christmas-until an unexpected package arrives with a harsh reminder of Ella's past. Suddenly Ella doesn't feel as confident about her future. Can she really have a "happily-ever-after" if she's never even seen one?

Micha will stand by Ella no matter what she's going through-though he worries that she might leave him standing at the altar again. When he's offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to tour with his favorite bands for three months, Micha knows he can't leave Ella behind. But can he ask her to uproot her life to join him on the road?

Now Ella and Micha must find a way to balance their fears, their dreams, and their love . . . if they ever want to hear wedding bells.

Finding It (Losing It #3) by Cora Carmack

Kelsey Summers wanted nothing more than to live in the moment, to exist in the here and now. She escaped to Europe after graduation to find out who she was and to escape the meaningless future her parents planned for her. Along the way she found plenty of parties, booze, and "friends" to keep her company. The one thing she didn't find? Herself. But then again, she wasn't looking too hard. Finding herself meant facing the things she was running from.

Everything changes when a chance encounter brings Jackson Hunt into her life. He is tall, dark, dangerous, and the connection between the two is electric. After a few more (slightly embarrassing) encounters, Hunt convinces Kelsey to give him a week - a week free of alcohol and full of adventure. With each new city and adventure, Kelsey discovers a little bit more about herself and falls a little bit more for Jackson. However despite their connection, Kelsey realizes that she doesn't know much about Jackson and when it becomes clear that he is hiding something, Kelsey fears that she may be putting her heart on the line for nothing.

I love Cora Carmack's books. Her characters are relatable and I love the awkward situations they find themselves in. Her books are funny, endearing, romantic, with a splash of sexy. Finding It is by far my favorite in her Losing It Series. Each one of the books in the series gets better and better, and this one was fantastic. It was so good that I didn't even need a bookmark because I never put it down. Finding It is full of angsty sexual tension and I found myself as frustrated with Hunt as Kelsey was. The passion between these two is red hot and makes for a crazy good read. And just when you think things are finally coming together, there is a fantastic twist (didn't see that one coming!) which tears it all apart. Don't worry though, the ending left me hugging the book to my chest with a smile on my face. 

Cover Reveal ~ Now Or Never (Fight or Flight #2) by Jamie Canosa

Book Lover's Paradise is thrilled to bring you the cover and blurb for Now Or Never by Jamie Canosa, book two in the Fight or Flight Series. Make sure to stop by on November 2nd when I will be hosting a stop on Jamie's blog tour! 

1984 by George Orwell

War is Peace

Freedom is Slavery

Ignorance is Strength

Written in the year 1949, 1984 maps out the horrific future envisioned by George Orwell. The world is divided into three superpowers - Oceania, Eastasia and Eurasia - who are constantly at war. Every move, every thought, is watched by Big Brother and the Party. Every aspect of life - supplies, language, relationships, economy, government - is controlled by the Party. The high ideals of the past - freedom, independence, love, individuality - have been eradicated. The Party controls the past, the present, and the future. It is a world where neighbor turns on neighbor, child turns on parent, where the past can be rewritten again and again. Any sign of dissension, no matter how slight, conscious or unconscious, is quickly and completely removed.

Winston Smith is a member of the Outer Party. He remembers a time before the Party came to power and because of this has developed a consciousness, which causes him to question the actions of the Party. He begins to engage in activities - keeping a journal, having a love affair, seeking to join the Brotherhood - with the intention of bringing down Big Brother, only to find that in the end, he cannot escape the reach of the Party.

Yes, it's true...I somehow managed to make it through not only my high school career, but my college career as well, without reading 1984 (a year near and dear to my heart, as it is my birth year). Instead of 1984, I read Animal Farm by Orwell. 1984 has been on my to-read list for sometime, as you will often find it on literary must read lists. Overall, I liked the book. It certainly paints a rather hopeless view of the future, something that I think flies in the face of humanity. I think most people (at least Westerners) are brought up with the idea that man is inherently good and will rise above adversity and oppression. Hope is something that is actively sought after and held onto. Hope is completely absent from 1984. In fact, every time the slightest ray of hope is born, it is quickly and completely drowned. It leaves one with a very bleak feeling. I kept hoping that in the end it would get better, but just like the characters in the novel, all my hopes were disappointed.  

The most interesting aspect of this story for me was the idea of language. I love words. To me, words are the most powerful tool we possess. Words have the power to build up and the power to destroy. Language is powerful because of the innate desire of human beings to communicate and express themselves. I was intrigued by the idea that by limiting language one could inevitably control not only communication, but thoughts as well. After all, how can a person think about something if they lack the words necessary to describe and conceptualize it? This is especially horrifying to someone like me, an American raised on the principle of free speech. The Party in 1984 go far beyond simply trying to censor the thoughts and expressions of the people. Their goal is to limit language so much that people will lose the ability to think negatively about the government. Imagine that...not being able to speak out against the government or even THINK negative thoughts about the government. Certainly would not fly in the U.S., seeing as all people do these days is think and say negative thoughts about our government.

Regardless, freedom of expression is something that many take for granted. It's become the expectation and people forget not only what a gift it truly is, but that free expression has consequences. It is inevitable that language and expression will be used to tear others down, to assert dominance over a person or group. After all, people are always going to have different opinions and different ways of expressing their thoughts. Nevertheless, I would rather live in a world where language has the potential for harm, than in a world like the one in 1984 where there was no freedom of expression whatsoever.   

Finding Cinderella (Hopeless #2.5) by Colleen Hoover

Let me start by saying that Colleen Hoover could charge whatever she wanted for her novels and I would gladly fork it over. I love her that much! To show her appreciation to her fans, she released this novella for FREE! As if I needed another reason to love her. Now some might think that because it is free, that Colleen might not have put that much effort into it, or that it is really just a fluff piece....well let me put that thought straight out of your mind. This novella is AMAZING!!

Finding Cinderella focuses on Holder and Sky's best friends, Daniel and Six. I loved these characters in the other Hopeless novels. Daniel is hilarious and truly has a way with words and Six is the kind of friend that I would want to have. When I heard that they were getting their own story I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. So this is how is plays out...

Daniel has a chance encounter with a mystery girl in the maintenance closet at school. Neither one of them knows what the other one looks like, but in the brief time they spend together they form a connection. When their time is over, Daniel forces himself to push his Cinderella to the back of his mind. Moments like that don't really happen and it was all pretend anyway...right? Despite his best efforts, Daniel can never completely forget Cinderella. One year and one bad relationship later, Daniel is no closer to finding Cinderella or believing in real love, until he meets Six. Daniel and Six connect almost instantly and they fall for each other hard and fast. Discovering that Six is in fact Cinderella should have sealed the deal on happily ever after, but this revelation only exposes other secrets with the potential to ruin everything.

This novella was absolutely perfect and Daniel and Six are perfect for each other. There is plenty of humor and one hell of a twist at the end that I didn't see coming at all. I truly enjoyed watching these characters fall in love with each other. My only hope now is that with all four of our favorite characters set to head off to school together in the fall that Colleen is setting the stage for more books to come in the Hopeless series...Please? Pretty please? I'll even throw in the cherry...

Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer

Into the Wild chronicles the story of Christopher Johnson McCandless, a young man from a well-to-do family who after graduation leaves everything behind him - his friends, his family, his money, society - to embark on an adventure of a lifetime. Chris travels through the West and Southwest, eventually abandoning his car and most of his possessions and taking on a new identity, Alexander Supertramp. His ultimate goal is to make it to the Alaskan wilderness, where he planned to live a life reminiscent of his literary heroes of Jack London, Henry David Thoreau, and John Muir.

In April, 1992, Chris treks into the Alaskan wilderness. Four months later, his decomposed body is found by a party of moose hunters. His death became national news and the unanswered questions surround Chris and his journey intrigued people. Jon Krakauer, well known for his own adventures in Alaska (Into Thin Air), became fascinated by the story and set out to shed light on Chris's life, what he hoped to find in the wild, and the unanswered questions surrounding his death.

I have really mixed feelings on this book and Chris McCandless. I think it is easy to dismiss him as a privileged youth with dreams of grandeur, who traipsed out into the harsh wilderness of Alaska full of ignorant stupidity and completely ill prepared. On the other hand, I believe that it's a bit more complicated than that.

It is easy, when you are young, to believe that what you desire is no less than what you deserve, to assume that if you want something badly enough, it is your God-given right to have it. When I decided to go to Alaska that April, like Chris McCandless, I was a raw youth who mistook passion for insight and acted according to an obscure, gap-ridden logic. I thought climbing the Devils Thumb would fix all that was wrong with my life. In the end, of course, it changed almost nothing. But I came to appreciate that mountains make poor receptacles for dreams. And I lived to tell my tale. 

I think that Chris suffered from many of the things that plague us all when we are in our early 20's. First, he came to the realization that his parents are not perfect. As children, I think we often see our parents as these larger than life figures and it is jarring to realize that they are human beings, who make mistakes and don't always behave how we expect them too. This realization obviously had a tremendous impact on Chris and his relationship with his parents, especially his father. Little boys are brought up to look to their fathers for how to act in various situations, and when a father disappoints a son in the way that Walt McCandless disappoints his son, it is only natural that Chris would have a pressing need to reject anything and everything related to his father. Rejecting everything his father stood for was also a rejection of everything he had ever known, so natural Chris sought our something to replace it with. 

I've never had a sense of wanderlust. Don't get me wrong, I love to travel as much as the next person, but home is never far from my mind and heart. And I don't mean "home" in just the sense of a physical space and possessions, but also the people that I share my life with. I think ultimately this is what Chris was looking for. A way to connect to the world, the people in his family, and carve out an identity for himself. The biggest tragedy of Chris's death is that he was beginning to realize that for happiness to be real, it must be shared with others. This can be seen in some of the highlighted passages in books that were found with his body and included in Into the Wild. Chris had every intention of returning to society and his family. Although it appeared that Chris had abandoned everything and given up all of his possessions, three hundred dollars and several forms of ID were found with his body. He expressed the hope of marriage and children in the future. Unfortunately he was laid low by some seeds he consumed and he never made it out of the wilderness. 

While I still view Chris McCandless as somewhat foolhardy, I can see why people react so strongly to this book. People either seem to love it or hate it. I think that Chris set out on this journey to discover truths, truths that we all seek and generally learn through experience. I think he was a victim of youthful hubris and unfortunate circumstances. There are lessons to be learned from his story and I admire his courage. Not many would have the courage to leave everything behind them, to step out into the unknown and chart your own path, but Chris did and there is something to be said for that. There were parts of the book and Chris's story that spoke to me and parts that didn't. I would recommend giving this book a chance at least once. It certainly will not make any of my favorites lists and I doubt that I will ever read it again, but having said that, I am glad that I did read it at least once.

Into the Wild was turned into a movie in 2007. It was directed by Sean Penn and Jon Krakauer was instrumental in the screenplay. It is a very well done movie and a pretty faithful visual representation of the story Krakauer tells in his book. The soundtrack is great too. Just in case your curious.... :)

The Love Series by Tina Reber

Book I: Love Unscripted
Ryan Christensen just wanted to be an actor. He never could have imagined the turn his life would take after staring in a wildly popular film. With his career in overdrive, Ryan finds himself in the fishbowl that is fame - hounded by the paparazzi and obsessed fans.

Taryn Mitchell is a realist. She has sworn off men after having her heart broken by her fiance. Her sole focus is her family's pub in Seaport, Rhode Island. Taryn is unimpressed by the celebrities that have invaded Seaport as they film their latest film, but when Ryan Christensen escapes into her pub after being attacked by fans, she cannot help the attraction she feels towards him.

Both Ryan and Taryn have been burned in the past and have trust issues, but the connection between them is strong. They find themselves falling hard and fast for each other. However, Ryan's high profile career presents challenges to their relationship. The two of them must overcome their own jealousy and insecurity, all while surrounded by the constant scrutiny of the press and Ryan's fans, if they hope to have any chance to be together.

Book II: Love Unrehearsed
Taryn and Ryan found in each other what they have always been searching for, but happily-ever-after isn't so simple as riding off into the sunset. Taryn finds herself engaged to the most sought after star in Hollywood. She must now learn to navigate his Hollywood world and figure out her place in it. Every move she makes is documented in the tabloids, Ryan's management team is worried about how an engagement will hurt his career prospects, obsessed fans threaten her life, and her own insecurities seek to threaten her happily-ever-after. In the face of all the pressures and all those who want them to fail, Ryan and Taryn must put their faith and trust in each other, but with no script to follow they will have to forge their own path to happiness.

If you have not read this series then get yourself to a bookstore FAST...or Amazon with it's wonderful Whispersync. I loved this series from the first page to the last page. This story has everything you could possibly want in a NA romance. Taryn is down-to-earth and believable. Ryan is everything you could want and is the newest edition to my book boyfriend list. Together they make a great couple and I was rooting for them from the start. This series is full of angst and romance and I can't recommend it enough. Amazing, amazing, amazing series.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is the story of Junior, a Native American teenager, fed up with the limited opportunities offered to him on his reservation, who makes the decision to transfer to the nearby white school. The book chronicles the joys and pains of being an Native American living on a reservation, the challenges of an adolescent searching for his identity, familial relationships and friendships, and the hope needed to believe and seek a better life.

This is the second book that I have read by Sherman Alexie. I first encountered his work in college when I read The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven in my Native American history class. I appreciated his unique voice and was excited when I came across Part-Time Indian when selecting a novel for my students. This is Alexie's first venture into YA fiction and it has proven to be a success in the classroom.

The book is loosely based on the experiences of Alexie himself and landed itself on the 2013 Most Banned Books list. I suspect that is for a few reasons: heavy topics (alcoholism, racism, eating disorders), language, and sexual references. Regardless, this book was an incredibly enjoyable read. Junior is a unique, interesting, and relatable character. His voice is believable as a teenager and the illustrations (done by Ellen Forney) add an interesting and humorous aspect to the novel. Alexie offers a perspective on themes that are universal - friendship, family, identity, hope - and yet unique to each of us, seen through the eyes of a teenage boy. I found myself experiencing a myriad of emotions - amusement, sadness, joy, and at the end hope. I highly recommend this novel.   

The Crucible by Arthur Miller

This school year has been a series of firsts for me - new school district, first time teaching high school, first time teaching English - so this means that not only will I be spending my time pleasure reading, but I will also be spending time reading for school. The Crucible is a fairly standard staple in most high school English curriculum, but I somehow managed to not read it. My only explanation is that I was always in Honors English, and while the general level read The Crucible, we did not. I believe we read The Scarlet Letter instead, if I recall correctly...

For those of you who may not have read it, The Crucible is a play by Arthur Miller that is based on the Salem witch trials which occurred in Salem, Massachusetts in the 17th century. While the characters and events in the play are based on real historical people and events, Miller does make changes and it is a work of fiction. It was written in 1953 and Miller uses the Salem witch trials as a mirror for the Communist hysteria spearheaded by Senator McCarthy. 

While I had never read the actual play, I have seen the movie starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder. The film is excellent and faithful to the original play. Daniel Day-Lewis as John Proctor is amazing, especially at the end when John Proctor faces the decision of whether or not he is willing to sign his name to a false confession. The play itself is amazingly well written and the parallels between the witch trials and the events of the 1950's are remarkable, especially considering the span in history between the two events. The historian in me loves this and I'm reminded of a college professor who always used to say, "History doesn't repeat itself, but it sure rhymes a lot."

As with any play, I prefer to see it performed, but I did enjoy reading the play. It has led to some great discussions, particularly on justice, identity, relationships and motivation in class. Students seem to connect to the play and I've enjoyed hearing their opinions. The Crucible has some amazing dynamic characters - namely John and Elizabeth Proctor and Reverent Hale - and their journeys make for an engaging and entertaining read. What I like most about this play is that there are so many avenues for exploring and delving into the text. The nerd in me always loves this and it's one thing that I miss about being a student myself - the discussions, the analyzing of texts, the exploration of the events and characters, the making of connections. Fortunately, in my new role I have been able to get back to this in many ways and The Crucible has proven to be a very engaging text.

Book Tour ~ Lovely by Beth Michele ~ Author Spotlight, Review & Giveaway

Book Lover's Paradise is happy to host a stop on Beth Michele's Lovely blog tour. Keep reading to learn more about Beth, a review of Lovely and an awesome giveaway!

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Meet Beth Michele - Author of Lovely

About the Author

I am a wife, a mom, an author, and a lover of all things chocolate, well, anything sweet really. While stuffing chocolate in my face, I enjoy reading young adult and new adult novels furiously, and spending time with my husband and two adorable children who keep me on my peppermint pink painted toes. Those same children who inspire me to tell silly stories that cause hysterical giggles to tumble from their bellies.

I love to laugh and love to have a good cry, especially after reading a novel that stretches my soul, one that makes me feel, and lingers in the corner of my heart.

I’m a hopeless romantic and a happily ever after fanatic, and I love to write about LOVE.

I began writing when I was in middle school, penning anything from short stories, to poetry, and then later moved on to write children’s books. I have now endeavored into New Adult and Contemporary Romance novels and am loving every minute of it. My first novel, Love Love, was released in May, 2013.

Connect with the Author
Facebook | GoodReads | Amazon | Twitter

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A moment can change everything… 

Ashton Taylor. Six foot one, Dark hair, chiseled jaw, riveting hazel eyes, and a body cut in all the right places. He’s a natural. Things just come easy to him. He’s used to getting everything he wants, excelling at everything he does. The grades, the recognition, the beautiful women.

His path was set. A girl, a full scholarship to UC San Diego, and a bright future. To others, his life seemed perfect. But, things are never what they seem, and life, well, at any moment, something or someone can come along and turn it upside down.

That something…the death of his father.

That someone… Cara Hayward. The girl with the hypnotic eyes, melodic voice, enchanting smile, and lips sent straight from heaven.

The girl who doesn’t want to be seen.

So what happens when a guy who everything comes easy to, meets a girl who doesn’t come easy?

Can he crawl through all the broken glass to find her? Will the girl he discovers deep down be able to see past his perfect exterior?

Together, do they have the power to heal one another? Or, could the very thing that brings them together, be the one thing that tears them apart?

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.com/B00FFE7POK
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FFE7POK

Add to Goodreads: http://tiny.cc/l0c63w

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I looked up toward the heavens, recalling the words my father uttered to me over the years. "Son, once your life is touched by something so beautiful, you'll never be the same."

Everyone has moments in their lives that stand out from the rest. Some are small moments and some have the capacity to change the course of your life forever. For many, truly falling in love for the first time is one of them. In Lovely we meet Ash and Cara, two characters who's lives were changed by circumstances beyond their control. When we meet them, they are both just moving through the motions, just trying to keep it all together. Ash uses meaningless flings to cope with his loss, while playing the rock that the rest of his family can depend on. Cara copes by putting up walls and keeping everyone at arms length. 

Lovely is a touching story that had me from the very first page. I loved the characters of Ash and Cara. They were down-to-earth and relatable and I felt an instant connection to their story. I loved Ash and admired how he stepped up to be his family's rock, even if it meant saying goodbye to the future he had always envisioned. I fell even more in love with his determination and refusal to give up on his relationship with Cara. Cara is smart and a survivor who has managed to keep hold of a positive outlook, despite the hand she was dealt in life. Plus, she hoards books and spends most of her time in the library. She and I would totally be friends.

I have to be strong. I have to hold it together. I drop my gaze from hers and am about to lay my head on her chest when she slips her finger under my chin and lifts it to meet her eyes. She moves her hand slowly, smoothing the hair from my temple and tracing the line of my jaw, her eyes never leaving mine. "It's okay, Ash," she whispers. "You can fall now...I'll be here to catch you."

The connection between Ash and Cara is real and makes Lovely a worthwhile read.I loved that these two characters found in each other a connection they were both missing and watching how their relationship developed. The heart is an amazing thing when you stop to think about it. Both Ash and Cara had already been through so much, the fact that they were able to love each other the way they did is remarkable and speaks to the real power of love. I was pulling for this couple right out of the gate. It was heartwarming to watch them learn to trust each other, let their walls down, and be vulnerable, especially since they both had expended so much energy trying to keep it together. Nothing has the power to change us so profoundly like love.

Lovely has all the things you want in a NA romance - a hot guy, romance, secrets revealed, anxiety causing blunders, grand gestures, and swoon worthy confessions. My only criticism is that I would have liked a little bit more angst. I love my romances nice and angsty, torturous even. I want to suffer because it makes the happy ending that much sweeter. While Lovely does have angst, I was left a little wanting in that department. There were instances where I think the angst factor could have been dialed up a notch. I also had a slight issue with what happens in the epilogue of the book...I don't want to reveal exactly what that is, but it left a spot on my perfectly happy ending that bothered me a bit, especially since it was resolved so happily earlier in the book. Sorry for the crypticness (I may have just made that word up...) here, but I don't want to give anything away. Nevertheless, Lovely's positive attributes far outweigh it's flaws. It is definitely a book that I recommend. It is a great weekend read for any romantic out there looking for that warm and fuzzy feeling we all adore.

*Note: I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Simple Perfection (Perfection #2) by Abbi Glines

When Della Sloane walked into Woods Kerrington's life in Twisted Perfection, he never could have imagined how she would turn it upside down. Determined not to let his father control him anymore, Woods decides to leave everything behind him - his family, his money, the future he always dreamed of - to follow the one thing that made life worth living. When Woods' father dies suddenly, he finds himself back in Rosemary with a business to run and a mother to care for.

Della wants nothing more than to be Woods' rock, to be strong for him, just like he has been strong for her. However the ghosts of the past still haunt Della, threatening to pull her under at any moment. Della will have to face her past head on and fight for the one thing she knows she can't live without.

No one has the ability torture me quite like Abbi Glines. I love the Rosemary series and find myself coming back to these books time and time again. The books in this series are full of angst and romance, not to mention a bunch of sexy men. What more can a girl ask for, right? Abbi makes me feel every emotion, every scar, every beautiful moment. I get lost in this world and these relationships she creates. Simple Perfection does not disappoint. I love Woods and Della and was glad to see them get their happy ending. This one has some twists that I didn't see coming, especially at the end. I can always forgive Abbi for putting me through such emotional turmoil while reading her novels because she gives me such perfectly satisfying happy endings.

Coming up...

Rush Too Far (Too Far #1.1) - Fallen Too Far told from Rush's POV - expected sometime in 2014

Grant's books:
Take a Chance (Chances #1) - expected February 3, 2014
One More Chance (Chances #2) - expected May, 2014

It also appears that Tripp and Bethy will be getting their own book, although I wasn't able to find any information on expected publication dates. Simple Perfection contains story hints for both upcoming additions to the Rosemary series. One thing is for sure, I can't wait to get my hands on them!!

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

Let me start by saying that I am a fan of Mindy Kaling, especially as Kelly Kapoor on The Office. When this book was released, I instantly added it to my "to read" list, where it quickly got buried in the avalanche of my ever expanding list. So you can imagine my pleasure when my book club selected it for our September book.

Mindy's commentary covers a variety of topics, from her childhood to how she got the job on The Office, to her thoughts on cupcakes. Overall, I have to say that this book was just okay...I had anticipated that this book would be funnier than it was and I was somewhat disappointed. While there were funny stories/anecdotes, I did not find myself laughing hysterically. The book isn't boring and I found some of her stories relatable, I was just expecting more.