11/15/2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway ~ Pieces of My Heart (Pieces #2) by Jamie Canosa

Kiernan Parks settled all the scores. He finished what he set out to do and then . . . he left. 

He left Jade. Heartbroken and weary. Existing one day to the next. One breath after another. The only way she knew how to move forward, forever missing a piece of her heart. Until an unexpected surprise throws her volatile life into upheaval once more.

He left Caulder. Guilt-ridden and grieving. Fighting to hold it all together. Not just for himself, but for the people he cares about. Staggering under the weight of his obligations.

He left them alone.

He left them together.




Buy it here on Amazon
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Haven’t read book #1 in the Pieces series yet? No, worries. Fall in love with the Parks boys from the beginning with Falling to Pieces (Pieces 1) for only 99 CENTS for a limited time! Or get it FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

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My Two Cents...

This series has been one of the most emotional series that I have ever read. It has made me ugly cry more than once, but I can't get enough of it. I love nothing more than to be emotionally destroyed by a good book, but Jamie takes it to a whole new level with this one. I love Cal and Jade as characters, and I loved watching them help each other heal and move forward into the future. I have been emotionally invested in these characters from the beginning, so I had high expectations going into this one, and Jamie didn't disappoint. It has everything you need in a good story - engaging characters, drama, angst, romance, a little laughter, and plenty of heart. There isn't anything that I would have changed. I would have liked to maybe see a little further into the Cal and Jade's future at the end, but overall I'm very satisfied with this final installment.

You definitely need to read the first novel, and I would also recommend reading Cal's novella, before picking this one up (click the links to see my reviews). I also recommend that you don't read it in public (unless you are cool with public displays of emotion) and that you keep tissues handy, because there is no way you are making it through this one without tears. This is a beautifully written series.

**Note: I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review

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Meet the Author


Jamie Canosa is a full time author of YA/NA literature, which she absolutely loves. When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, she can usually be found with her nose in a book. She currently resides in Upstate NY with her husband, and their three crazy kids . . . plus the cats, the bird, and the rabbit.

Author Links:
GoodReads

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Giveaway Time!!

Enter for a chance to win a necklace, just like Jade's!




11/09/2014

Wreck Me (Nova #4) by Jessica Sorensen

When Avery Hensley met Conner Wellings, she thought she’d found the guy she was going to spend the rest of her life with. She got married young and had the most beautiful son in the world.

Life seemed perfect.

But not everything is what it seems.

Turned out Conner had another side to him, a darker side that Avery didn’t see coming. He wrecked and broke her into a thousand pieces, leaving Avery to put herself back together. From then on, Avery vows never to let a man into her life again.

But then she meets Tristan Morganson. He’s sweet and sexy and wrecks Avery in a different way than Conner did, the kind of way that makes her feel alive again, the kind of way that makes her think maybe not all guys are bad. But can Avery trust him enough to let her walls come crumbling down?

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I love Jessica's Nova series, and Tristan was one of my favorite characters in the series. I was so happy when she announced that he was going to get his own book, and she did not disappoint. Jessica has the unique talent for creating these beautifully broken characters, and the journeys that she takes us on with their stories are amazing. You can't help but to fall for characters like Tristan and Avery. They have so much pain, that it becomes so rewarding to watch them find their way out the darkness and to each other. This is a beautiful story and I found myself tearing up more than once. Even though it's over 400 pages, I couldn't put it down and finished it in a day. Simply amazing. There isn't a single thing that I would change.

Rowdy (Marked Men #5) by Jay Crownover

After the only girl he ever loved told him that he would never be enough, Rowdy St. James knocked the Texas dust off his boots and set out to live up to his nickname. A good ol’ boy looking for good times and good friends, Rowdy refuses to take anything too seriously, especially when it comes to the opposite sex. Burned by love once, he isn’t going to let himself trust a woman again. But that’s before his new co-worker arrives, a ghost from the past who’s suddenly making him question every lesson he ever learned.

Salem Cruz grew up in house with too many rules and too little fun—a world of unhappiness she couldn’t wait to forget. But one nice thing from childhood has stayed with her; the memory of the sweet, blue-eyed boy next door who’d been head over heels in love with her little sister.

Now, fate and an old friend have brought her and Rowdy together, and Salem is determined to show him that once upon a time he picked the wrong sister. A mission that is working perfectly—until the one person that ties them together appears, threatening to tear them apart for good.

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Jay Crownover delivers another stellar installment in her Marked Men series. Just like the others, Rowdy is full of heart, with just the right amount of steam, to get you hooked and keep you flying through the pages. Just when I think Jay can't deliver a better book than her last, she surpasses my expectations yet again. There is definitely a level of expectation with NA novels, but what sets Jay's books apart is her ability to create such dynamic characters, and then use them to tell stories that have rather profound perspectives on matters of the heart. Yes, Rowdy has all the things you would expect of a NA novel, but it also eloquently addresses the ideas of destiny, and the idea that when it comes to the heart, sometimes the "lasts" are more important than the "firsts." Not all NA authors are able to do this, to create stories that are so much more than gratuitous "love" stories. This novel, in a word. is perfection.

There is one more book in this series, and I have a feeling that Asa's story is going to be her best one yet. Jay also has a spin-off series in the works. I, for one, will be pre-ordering all of them :) 

The Wright Brother by Marie Hall

From the moment I opened my eyes I could only see the world in shades of gray. There was no noise, no sound, nothing. Deaf and colorblind, I was a loner. My world was bleak, silent and empty, until her. Until I met my neighbor, Elisa Jane Adrian. I want her. I need her. The fractured part of me feels whole when she's around. Like the world isn't so dark, isn't so bleak, and so still. I know it's impossible, but when I look at Elisa I swear I can see color, can hear the gentle inhalations of her breath. I know she feels it too, this magic, this desperate desire... 

I first saw him when I was three. Julian Wright was different than any other guy I'd ever known. He sees the world in a way I know I never will. But he intrigues me. The way he looks at me with his sea green eyes, how he hypnotizes me with his smile.

It's dangerous these feelings I have for him. Reckless and stupid. I'm so much older than him, I know better. And I'll fight these desires, no one will ever know how I feel. I'll even pretend to myself that I'm not as hooked on him as he is on me.

I'll move away to Ireland, I'll forget him, but that's the thing about the Wrights, they have a way of getting under your skin, into your soul, and no matter the time or distance, once a Wright sets their eyes on you, there's no going back...ever.

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I'm torn on this one. There were things that I absolutely loved about this story, and then other things that drove me absolutely nuts. What I loved about this story was Julian. He was such a fascinating and enigmatic character. I could feel a pull, a desire to know more about him, just like Elise. I wanted to see the world through his eyes, to jump inside his creative mind. Unfortunately, Marie didn't give us this opportunity. The story is told from the perspective of Elisa, who I have to say got on my nerves on more than one occasion. She seemed to be the cause of many of her own problems, and I had a hard time sympathizing with her. In fact, on more than one occasion, I found myself frustrated with her inability to get out of her own way. The story follows both Elisa and Julian from childhood to adulthood, so I think a lot of the angst was supposed to steam from "growing pains," but it just felt dragged out at times, and I wanted to shake Elisa. In the end, I was happy with the story's resolution. Overall, this was not one of my favorites, but it is a quick and decent read. It's also a standalone, so no worries about getting tied down to a series.

Smolder (Crush #4) by Lacey Weatherford

Russ knew true love existed—he’d seen it first hand—he simply didn’t believe it existed for him. And then she walked into his life. Russ didn’t know what had hit him . . . all he knew was that she made him burn.

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This is the final installment in the Crush series by Lacey Weatherford. I was so excited to hear that Russ was getting his own book. He is such a great character - brave, loyal, selfless, ruggedly handsome - that you can't help but root for him and wish him a happy ending. Poor guy is the epitome of "nice guys finish last," which is crazy, because if he was real, I would be all over him in a heartbeat!

Just like the other books in the series, which center around Russ's friends Dylan and Cami, this book is full of drama, mixed in with some danger, suspense, and a whole lot of sexy. There were points in the story that I got a little frustrated with Russ's main squeeze, Evie, and the solution to the inevitable obstacle that drives them apart was a little dragged out, but in the end, I was happy.

You definitely shouldn't read this book until you have read the other books in the series due to spoilers, but it's worth the read.