Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Book Tour, Review & Giveaway: Rock It by Jennifer Chance




For gals who love bad boys and musicians, Jennifer Chance brings ROCK IT,
the first novel in Rule Breakers, a sizzling New Adult series published by Random House’s LoveSwept imprint.

My Review:
Let me state up front there are good and bad reviews of this book.  I actually read through them because I really wasn't sure what to think after I finished this one. And I think for once reading the reviews helped clarify my thoughts on a book.  So here goes.

First I'm going to start with what I enjoyed.  I enjoyed this story or what I guessed was the storyline from the reading.  I like the fangirl to lover angle.  I liked Lacey most of the time and I really liked Dante.  He's hot and he's not a complete total jerk rock star.  He's good with Lacey, he seems to handle her well even though he doesn't understand his attraction to her.  I like that he protects her even before he figures that out and he sees something in her that she doesn't.  I also like that Lacey sees the true Dante.  We all put on fronts to the world and when you find your soulmate they can see you for your true person, they accept who you are and nurture that not try to change it and I liked that both characters seemed to understand that.  There was no changing for each other, just finding their ways to their true self.  So I liked the element of self-discovery.  Another thing I like is the book is hot, from the make-out scenes to start til it gets more heated between Dante and Lacey, it is hot.  The attraction is there and the reader can feel it.

So what didn't I like.  Lacey was indecisive.  I can understand being a little indecisive and I know some of it was linked to self-esteem (I'm not good enough for a rock star) but whoa, some of the complete changes she would do were crazy to me.  Another thing was the fact that it took until halfway through the book for me to feel like I really got any backstory on the characters.  At halfway I finally learned something that gave Dante depth.  Lacey is kind of always there, but still the surface is only scratched.  Shoot me for saying this but there could have been a few less pages of the steamy and a little more development of character.  But I guess this depends on what you like, because the steamy was good. 

Overall I enjoyed this book though. I kept reading and it kept me interested.  There are some interesting plot twists later in the book, but I still felt that sex got in the way of development sometimes.  However I think Ms. Chance's writing is great, this is a quality book, just not as in depth as I usually like.  But I am excited to read more of this series, I'm guessing it will center around Lacey's housemates and I can't wait to see how that works out.  We see some of them all in this book but Anna really shines so I can't wait to read about her.

If you are looking for a steamy rock star read with some nice romance added in then this is just the book for you. 

Some of my favorite defining lines/quotes in the book:

First a description of Dante:

Looking like he'd just swaggered out of her latest fantasy, Dante Falcone sauntered into the room with a complete entourage of IMO secretaries in his wake, his hand wrapped around an insulated thermos that he'd clearly brought with him. Today he wore an expertly tailored white button-down shirt, with just enough of said buttons undone to give a hint of that smooth bronze skin beneath and black leather pants that slid over hi intimately without quite being obscene.
 Then something to whet your appetite for the four friends:
"Yeah," Lacey said. She thought about the girls in the brownstone--she and Anna had been close enough friends in college, but it wasn't until they'd both found themselves in Boston last summer that things had really clicked for them. A chance encounter with artist-on-the rise Erin Connelly had led to a roof over their heads, which was where they'd met the fast talking Dani Michaels. Within just a few weeks, the four of them had formed a pretty tight bond. Even Dani, who didn't seem to connect easily, was now hanging around the brownstone more often whenever she wasn't working as a bartender, pool hustle, or God only knew what else.
 And finally a little romance:
"Lacey, I need you to look at me." She blinked her eyes open and was transfixed. He was staring straight at her, and this wasn't the fresh-faced boy-bander or the moody, molten rock star. This wasn't an image or a legend or a celebrity. This was a man, flesh and bones and heart and heat. And he was in front of her, focused on her, real and powerful and turning her inside out, making hope surge up within her like maybe, just maybe, this was real and she could, she could . . . 


My Rating: 3.5/5



About ROCK IT

Jennifer Chance unleashes her hot new series with the tale of a smoldering rock star and the fangirl who catches his eye—and finds herself living out her wildest dreams.

Lacey Dawes is a total pro at the talent agency where she works, and it doesn’t hurt that IMO Worldwide Media represents Dante Falcone. The rock god has starred in her fantasies since she was sixteen—and remains her secret crush to this day. So when Dante picks her to be the interim manager on his Dream It tour, Lacey can’t believe her luck. Handling Dante is sure to be the most exquisite, spine-tingling, nerve-wracking mix of business and pleasure ever.

Although Dante is grateful for the adoring fans who scream for one more of his full-throttle, soul-searing songs, being surrounded by a cadre of corporate types backstage is wearing thin. Then Lacey shows up. Yeah, she’s organized, smart, quick to get him what he wants before he knows he wants it—but Dante senses there’s something else going on with sweet, sexy Lacey. One kiss tells him what that “something” might be . . . and makes him hungry for more.

On Sale: March 04, 2014

Available for pre-order at:
 
 

eBooks.com       GooglePlay     DieseleBook Store     iBooks     Kobo
Sony      Powells

Want to learn more about ROCK IT? Be sure to check out this exclusive interview with Jennifer Chance!

About Jennifer Chance
I come by romance honestly, having spent several years writing adult romance and entering romance contests through Romance Writers of America–including finaling twice in the prestigious Golden Heart contest and winning once. But despite these and other contest wins, my first published novel came not in adult romance, but as a writer of YA historical fiction (you can read all about my Elizabethan spy girls stories, the Maids of Honor, here.)
Still, despite my love of Elizabethan spies, I could never quite give up those super Alpha contemporary romance heroes. So, in the summer of 2013, I decided to see if perhaps I might still have a romance or two up my sleeve.
I wrote a tale about a girl whose biggest high-school and college crush–a rock star–suddenly becomes her biggest client, only now she has to be professional and not betray the fact that she’s completely in love with the guy. It was a fun, sexy, romantic fantasy, and I suggested the idea to my agent… who asked what other ideas I had in addition to this story. Shortly after, the Rule Breakers series was born.
To separate these books from my historical work, I adopted the name Jennifer Chance. I am now pursuing my dreams (pretty much round the clock as it turns out) and am THRILLED to be able to have four e-books coming out in 2014 and early 2015, all with Random House LoveSwept’s New Adult romance line.
As to what will happen from here, who knows? But as long as there is a story to be written and an HEA to be had, I’ll be the one over in the corner, tapping away on my keyboard.
Connect with Jennifer at her Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads


Follow the tour and win some awesome prizes!

Prizes:
An iPod Shuffle (open to US entrants only, if international entrant is chosen they'll receive a $50 gift card to the eTailer of their choice). Additionally, Random House is sponsoring the tour with a $50 e-giftcard, and swag including a Loveswept mug and tote (open to US entrants only).

a Rafflecopter giveaway


***I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  ***

Cover Reveal: The Day Human Prince by B. Kristin McMichael

Day Human Prince (The Day Human Trilogy #1)
Release Date: 03/2014

Summary from Goodreads:
Devin Alexander grew up as the only day human in a world surrounded by night humans who drank blood, sometimes his blood. He spent his life training towards one goal: the protection of one of those blood drinkers, Arianna. But what is he supposed to do when the blue-eyed girl of the legends doesn't need him anymore? What does his life mean then? How is a guy supposed to move on when the girl he has pined over for a decade chooses someone else?


Before he can even start to figure out his new life without Arianna, Devin has to deal with another problem. He needs to take care of some unfinished business with a night human he has known for less than a month, but with whom he is magically bound.

Vanessa McKinny has promised that she knows a way to undo the spell she placed on Devin to save his life. Devin would do anything to break the bond to be free of her, even if it means traveling to the sidhe village, a place inhabited by a race of night humans that has not had a day human visitor in more than a hundred years. If he doesn’t plan to get stuck, he must work with Nessa to find a way to break the bond. Only then can Devin have time to get back to finding his new goal in life, unless he discovers that his path lies with the sidhe.



About the Author:
Originally from Wisconsin, B. Kristin currently resides in Ohio with her husband, two small children, and three cats. When not doing the mom thing of chasing kids, baking cookies, and playing outside, she is using her PhD in biology as a scientist. In her free time she is currently hard at work on multiple novels. Every day is a new writing adventure. She is a fan of all YA/NA fantasy and science fiction.

Author Links:
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Saturday, March 1, 2014

Cover Reveal: How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall In Love With You by T.M. Franklin

How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love with You
Release Date: 06/12/14

Summary from Goodreads:
1. Join the Drama Club
2. Do Your Research

3. Provide Something She Needs

4. Make Her Feel Secure and Important

5. Pay Attention!
6. Be a Good Friend
7. Be More Attractive
8. Be Complimentary, But Not Obsequious
9. Establish Rapport
10. Be Encouraging and Supportive
11. Give Her Space
12. Admit When You’re Wrong and Apologize
13. Find the Perfect Birthday Gift
14. Tell Her How You Feel

Seventeen-year-old Oliver Wendell Holmes (Yes, his parents are just that peculiar, but his brother’s name is Sherlock, so it could have been worse) knows that he’s different. He’s quirky, awkward, and he’s okay with that. Oliver also likes making lists—meticulous procedures for achieving his goals, step-by-step. Whether it’s “How to Get an A in Chemistry” or “How to Get Accepted to MIT,” he has a process, and it’s worked for him so far. He doesn’t even care that the popular kids mock him. Oliver’s got his eye on the prize.

So when he decides it’s time to declare his feelings for Ainsley Bishop, the girl of his dreams, it’s only natural for him to make a list—a point-by-point strategy to win her heart. He knows it will take a grand gesture for her to see all he has to offer, and her approaching birthday provides the ideal opportunity for Oliver to put his plan into action.

Finding the perfect gift is a challenge Oliver meets with his usual dogged determination. He’ll need to watch her carefully for clues to pinpoint exactly what he should give her. And along the way, he might just learn that what Ainsley really needs is not quite what he expected.



About the Author
T.M. Franklin started out her career writing non-fiction in a television newsroom. Graduating with a B.A. in Communications specializing in broadcast journalism and production, she worked for nine years as a major market television news producer, and garnered two regional Emmy Awards, before she resigned to be a full-time mom and part-time freelance writer. After writing and unsuccessfully querying a novel that she now admits, “is not that great,” she decided to follow the advice of one of the agents who turned her down—write some more and get better at it. Her first published novel, MORE, was born during National Novel Writing month, a challenge to write a novel in thirty days.

She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Mike, is mom to two boys, Justin and Ryan, and has an enormous black dog named Rocky who’s always lying nearby while she’s writing. Whether he’s soothed by the clicking of the computer keys or just waiting for someone to rub his belly is up for debate.

In addition to MORE, Franklin penned the Amazon best-selling short story, Window, as well as another short story, A Piece of Cake, which appears in the Romantic Interludes anthology. The sequel to MORE, The Guardians, will be released November 7, 2013.

Connect with T.M. Franklin
Website | Facebook | Twitter  | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal Organized by:


***I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  ***

Friday, February 28, 2014

Cover Reveal: How to Seduce a Band Geek and How to Hook a Bookworm by Cassie Mae


How to Seduce a Band Geek (How To #2)
Release Date: 05/06/14
Swoon Romance

Summary from Goodreads:

Sierra Livingston’s got it bad for her sister’s best friend, Levi Mason—the boy who carries his drumsticks in his pocket, marches with the school’s band, and taps his feet to whatever beat runs through his head. Sierra racks her brain for ways to impress the sexy drummer, but the short skirts and bursting cleavage don’t seem to cut it.



When Sierra gets paired with Levi’s sister, Brea, for a mentorship program, they strike a deal. In exchange for Sierra keeping her mouth shut about Brea ditching the program, Brea lets Sierra dig for more info on Levi to help get the guy of her dreams.



But when Sierra discovers Levi no longer plays the drums, his family has moved into a trailer, and he’s traded in his Range Rover for a baby blue moped, Sierra’s not sure if she can go through with violating his privacy. She’ll have to find the courage to ask him straight out—if he’s willing to let her in—and explore other ways to seduce the school’s band geek.



How to Hook a Bookworm (How To #3)
Release Date: TBD

Swoon Romance



Summary from Goodreads:

It’s Brea Mason’s sixteenth birthday, and she has three wishes. 1. Be magically eighteen like the rest of her friends. 2. Grow a money tree for her family whose financial problems are well known about town.  3. Overcome her test anxiety before she flunks out of every class.


But one day later, she's still sixteen, her family's money worries abound, and she's no closer to passing than she was the day before!


Then a very sexy transfer student—with gobs of cash—shows up. Brea figures she has a better chance of burping up glitter than attracting the new guy, but he seems extremely interested in her.



Just when Brea thinks things are looking up, her report card arrives marked with four giant F’s. Enter resident bookworm and Brea's loyal friend, Adam Silver. If he can't help Brea pass, no one can.


Even with Adam's help, Brea can't handle the mounting pressure, and finds an escape with the new student who knows little about her problems. 

But spending oodles of time with her boyfriend strains the friendship with Adam she relies so heavily on. Faced with losing the only real comfort and support she has ever had, Brea starts to wonder if she can hook a bookworm before it's too late. 


Link to book one:
(cover linked to Goodreads)


About the Author

Amazon multi-category and international bestselling author of HOW TO DATE A NERD, HOW TO SEDUCE A BAND GEEK and HOW TO HOOK A BOOKWORM

Cassie Mae is a nerd to the core from Utah, who likes to write about other nerds who find love. Her angel children and perfect husband fan her and feed her grapes while she clacks away on the keyboard. Then she wakes up from that dream world and manages to get a few words on the computer while the house explodes around her. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with the youth in her community as a volleyball and basketball coach, or searching the house desperately for chocolate.

Cassie Mae is an Amazon.com bestselling author of the teen contemporary romance novel REASONS I FELL FOR THE FUNNY FAT FRIEND, which she self-published. In addition to publishing with Swoon Romance, she is published by Random House Flirt.

Author Links:
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Cover Reveal: When You are Mine and Loving You Always by Kennedy Ryan

Today I have two beautiful covers to reveal for the first two books in Forever's debut author Kennedy Ryan's The Bennett's series.  The first one releases in June and Loving You Always will follow in October.  But for now get a look at these covers and add them to you Goodreads wishlist!


WHEN YOU ARE MINE (June 17, 2014; 9781455556816) introduces the story of Kerris Moreton, a foster child who has thrived despite her circumstances and is ready to open her own business and accept a marriage proposal. Unfortunately, the only thing missing in her would-be-fiancé Cam is the passionate connection he believes is overrated but Kerris craves. Lucky for her, she meets a man who lights her up like the Fourth of July.

Walsh Bennett is one of the East Coast’s most eligible bachelors, and Cam’s best friend. He’s used to plenty of female attention, but lately he’s been distracted by the one woman he can’t have. Kerris is the soulmate Walsh never thought he would fine, but too bad his best friend found her first.








LOVING YOU ALWAYS (October 17, 2014; 9781455556861) is book two in The Bennett’s Series. We don’t want to spoil anything, so you’ll just have to wait to see what happens with Kerris, Walsh and Cam in WHEN YOU ARE MINE first!

 


Author Kennedy Ryan has had several signs that she would be a writer, and finally circled back after years of gainful employment. She is a mom to a wonderful son living with autism. This is her debut novel and a percentage of her royalties are donated to families living with autism through her personal foundation as well as through TACA, Talk About Curing Autism. You can learn more about Kennedy Ryan at her Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.


Write On Review-A-Thon

Write On Review-a-Thon 

Today starts the Write On Review-A-Thon at The Book Vixen.  This week has been a whirlwind of my 40th birthday celebrations, so I'm late putting up my post that I'm joining, but I am.  I hope to clear out some reviews and get this blog going with reviews again!

Information about the review-a-thon can be found by clicking on the button above, but it's pretty simple and takes place every month.  This month it's today and tomorrow, and it's time to get those reviews written or videoed.  So have fun, sign up or just be prepared to actually see reviews on my blog again!



Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Unraveled by Jen Frederick Book Blitz + Giveaway


Unraveled by Jen Frederick
Genre: New Adult Romance


Summary
Twenty-five-year-old Sgt. Gray Phillips is at a crossroads in his life: stay in the Marine Corps or get out and learn to be a civilian? He’s got forty-five days of leave to make up his mind but the people in his life aren’t making the decision any easier. His dad wants him to get out; his grandfather wants him to stay in. And his growing feelings for Sam Anderson are wreaking havoc with his heart…and his mind. He believes relationships get ruined when a Marine goes on deployment. So now he’s got an even harder decision to make: take a chance on Sam or leave love behind and give his all to the Marines.


Twenty-two year old Samantha Anderson lost her husband to an IED in Afghanistan just two months after their vows. Two years later, Sam is full of regrets—that she didn’t move with her husband to Alaska; that she allowed her friends to drift away; that she hasn’t taken many chances in life. Now, she’s met Gray and taking a risk on this Marine could be her one opportunity to feel alive and in love again. But how can she risk her heart on another military man who could share the same tragic fate as her husband?

Excerpt
THIS WAS ONLY TEMPORARY, I reminded myself, as Samantha so sweetly kissed me back. I'm only here for a short time I reminded myself but as I felt her tongue stroke the side of my tongue, as she nipped her teeth against my lip, I wanted to just drown in the sensation. Her scent filled my head and the air around us shrank until all I knew was her small body sitting so close to mine. I moved my hand from her shoulder to cup her neck and angled her face for deeper penetration. I licked every inch inside of her mouth until the taste of her was all that I knew on my tongue.
And all that time I stared in to her green eyes and not once did she look like she was anywhere but right here with me. I saw my reflection there. Her heartbeat was made wild by my kisses.
And temporary was the farthest thing from my mind.


Buy Links

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1kl4Gd9
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1bdZ0yN


Author Biography
Bestselling author Jen Frederick lives with her husband, child, and one rambunctious dog. She's been reading stories all her life but never imagined writing one of her own. Jen loves to hear from readers so drop her a line at jensfrederick@gmail.com.


Social Networking Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JensFred

Giveaway:


a Rafflecopter giveaway