Pulled Beneath by Marni Mann: Blog Tour & Review

Pulled Beneath by Marni Mann
Publisher: Booktrope Editions
Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN:  9781620152195

Genre: New Adult
Bar Harbor Series #1
Paperback, 244 pages

My Rating: 5.0/5.0





 
My Review:

I was definitely pulled into Pulled Beneath from the very first page and I was held captivated until the last.  I like how this series pretty much ties up one couples' story with each book, or I assume that is the way it will be.  I know from reading the sneak peak at the end that Pulled Within will be Rae's story.  Yet it's still very much new adult with the struggles the characters face and the inherit darkness to the book.  I like having an ending yet knowing there is more to the story of the characters of Bar Harbor.

Pulled Beneath is the story of Drew and Saint (Justin).  It's a very interesting storyline that brings a Florida girl who loses her parents to her recently deceased grandparents' home in Bar Harbor, Maine.  The trick is she thought her grandparents were long dead and there are a lot of secrets that she hasn't learned yet.  With every turn in Bar Harbor she seems to be becoming more attached to her surrounding and finding more and more secrets.  It's fascinating and the premise really worked for me and kept me reading.

Drew, Saint, Brady, Rae, Gianni, and Shane were all great characters.  Since this was about Drew and Saint, I will focus on them.  Drew was broken before her parents' death and it leaves her even more in a downward spiral.  It doesn't seem like it as much through her eyes, except for the fact she trudges through each day.  But when we see her through what Saint sees as well, we see that things are much worse than we thought.  Not that Saint doesn't have his own demons, which are revealed in time.  Saint is the town man-whore or at least he appears to be.  But he and Drew are drawn together.  Both characters came to life for me.  I felt their pain, their numbness, their joy and their concern.  I loved them.  Their attraction is electric and it comes through on the pages loud and clear.  The struggles, the love, the attraction and the secrets all make both characters really interesting and this story very intriguing.

If you are looking for a slightly more intriguing New Adult novel and series, then Pulled Beneath is just for you.  There are secrets galore, wonderful friendships, tentative new love, lots of struggles and anything else you expect in a great New Adult novel.  I could not put it down.  I had to know what would happen next and I was sad at the end because I have to wait for the next one.  As I mentioned before, this one pretty much ties itself up at the end, but I am now invested in these characters and can't wait to know more of the secondary characters when they become primary characters!  Great job Ms. Mann on crafting a wonderful heartfelt book!

Summary

What happens when you uncover years of secrets and find out everything you thought to be true was a lie?

Drew Stevens finds her world turned upside down when her parents are brutally murdered. Soon after, she learns she inherited a property in Bar Harbor, Maine from recently deceased grandparents that she believed had died when she was a baby.

Drew travels north to settle her grandparents’ estate, but finds more questions than answers as the truth starts unraveling. What she didn’t expect to find was Saint, whose reputation was as tumultuous as his past. But the very thing that brought them together was the same thing that kept them emotionally caged.

With Saint’s scars so deep and Drew’s so fresh, can the pair heal from their painful wounds or will they be pulled beneath the darkness of their pasts?

Buy Links

Author Biography

A New Englander at heart, Marni Mann is now a Floridian inspired by the sandy beaches and hot pink sunsets of Sarasota. She taps mainstream appeal and shakes worldwide taboos, taking her readers on a dark and breathtaking journey.

When she’s not nose deep in her laptop, she’s scouring for chocolate, traveling, reading, or walking her four-legged children. 

Social Networking Links
Website

Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter

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

Fix You by Christine Bell Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

"Fresh, sexy, and addicting--you won't want to put it down!"—New York Times Bestselling Author Jen McLaughlin

FIX YOU is part one in the new adult McDaniels Brothers serials from USA TODAY Bestselling Author, Christine Bell. Fans of Monica Murphy, Jen McLaughlin, and H.M. Ward will be seduced by Bash and Olivia's story and will look forward to a new installment in this ongoing family saga every month!

Want to learn more about FIX YOU? Be sure to check out this exclusive interview with Christine Bell!

Follow the tour and win some awesome prizes!

Fix You, Bash and Olivia Book 1 by Christine Bell

Series: The McDaniels Brothers

Publisher: Christine Bell

Pub Date: March 31, 2014

Genre: New Adult

My Rating: 5.0/5.0
My Review:
What a wonderful first installment in this series.  It reads quick, I became fully invested in the characters and I cannot wait to read Fix You, Bash and Olivia Book 2. 

I was taken in from the first page and from the first moment that Sebastian "Bash" and Olivia's lives collide on one fateful evening.  And then I was held captive until the last word.  Now I am eagerly awaiting to see how their story continues, especially after that ending!

Olivia and Bash came to life for me on the page.  The book is shorter so there seems to be not much time for development, but I felt I really got to know both characters even in the short number of pages and I am cheering for them to overcome the issues that are before them, even though they seem mountainous.

Ms. Bell has crafted a very interesting story that is easy to read in one sitting and will have you wanting more.  I cannot wait for the second installment.  That was not enough of Bash and Olivia, I need more!  But it is an excellent start to a series.


About the Book:

Olivia Beckett’s once-charmed life is falling apart. Her family is about to lose everything, and she has almost no chance of continuing her college education. She can't even seek solace from her high school sweetheart. He's changed. She doesn't recognize the boy she used to know— his violent behavior is escalating and it scares the hell out of her. Her whole world is crumbling, and she has no one to turn to……

Sebastian “Bash” McDaniels is an up and comer in the boxing world working nights at the local college bar until he can land the fight of his dreams that will get him the hell out of Boston and away from his family's tragic past. He’s weeks from his goal when Olivia Beckett comes tumbling into his life in a flash of silky dark hair and haunted eyes. When he saves her from a potentially brutal beating, they begin to grow close, but Olivia's ex isn’t ready to let her go so easily.

Bash can't bring himself to walk away, but fixing Olivia just might leave him broken…

About the Author:

Christine Bell is the USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romances, and one half of the happiest couple in the world. She doesn't like clowns or bugs (except ladybugs, on account of their cute outfits), but loves movies, football, and playing Texas Hold 'Em. Writing is her passion, but if she had to pick another occupation, she’d be a wizard. She loves writing fun, sexy romance and deep, emotional new adult novels, but also hopes to one day publish something her dad can read without wanting to dig his eyes out with rusty spoons.

Subscribe to Christine’s mailing list for exclusive content, ARCs, giveaways and more!

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook

Giveaway:
A $50 e-giftcard to Amazon or Barnes & Noble (winner’s choice, open internationally) and an opportunity to have a character named after the winner in serial #3 of The McDaniels Brothers series!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Bloggiesta Finish Line - What I accomplished

So Bloggiesta has come to an end and what have I accomplished?  First a rehash of my goals with what I completed, then I'll make some notes below.

My Goals:

1. Update About Me/Contact page - I have done this recently so I'm going to leave it.
2. Read some of Blog Design for Dummies books and think about putting information to work for my blog. - I did read the intro and the first chapter and it has  me thinking.  Can't wait to go back and read more and really start working with it.
3. Write at least 4 backlogged reviews. - I wrote one.
4. Get my Wednesday, Thursday and Friday memes ready for the next two weeks (at least, if industrious go even further). - Nope. Sigh.
5. Get some of my tour posts ready to go except for the reviews so it's easy to post just before the tour date (I'm a procrastinator).  I'm going to go with a goal of at least 2 weeks worth. - I did about 4 posts, not what I hoped to, but I did accomplish something.
6. Visit other blogs, learn things and comment.  Time to build up my community again, I have been very lax.  - Didn't do, but plan on working on this week.
7. Do some of the mini-challenges. - Didn't do :(
8. Do the last two weeks worth of Blog Clarity's 10-minute touch-ups. - I did this week's where I created my gravatar and linked it to both my email addresses.  That was easy once I reset my WordPress password.   
9. Clean out my in-box, work through some of the review requests.  - I did get a good jump on this.  More work to be done, but I feel good about what I accomplished here.

So what happened?  I had great intentions but I fell short.  I did get ahead of my schedule on reading.  I spent time with my family, I spent some time cleaning and I spent some time doing some crochet.  So it was a wonderful weekend, I just didn't participate like I wanted.  But I have some ideas going. I plan on seeing what others did so I can keep adding to my ideas and I plan to continue working on my goals in the near future.  So while not a complete success, Bloggiesta managed to motivate me now and for the future!

Need You Tonight by Roni Loren Blog Tour: Interview, Mini-Review & Giveaway

Need You Tonight by Roni Loren
Publisher: Berkley
Pub Date: March 4, 2014
ISBN:  9781101629819

Genre: Romance, Erotica
Loving on the Edge Series #5 (but can be read as a stand-alone)

Interview with Roni Loren:

What's the first sentence of Need You Tonight?

Someone’s naked ass is on my imported marble countertops. (Note: This is a thought the heroine has. The book isn’t in first person.)

What inspired the title of Need You Tonight?

Almost all of my titles are inspired by song names. So, yes, the INXS song was the original inspiration for this one. And the line in the song, “You’re one of my kind”, totally fits the story. 

: )

What are three things Kade would never have in his glove box?

No kinky stuff because he has a daughter and keeps his private life private. No gun—because though he can be a formidable dom, he’s a gentle soul at heart. And no country music CDs because he loves rock.

 

What would you say is Tessa’s single most prized possession?

She would say nothing because she’s a recovering trophy wife who has realized possessions are useless. So her most prized thing right now is her independence.

What made you decide to tell Tessa and Kade’s story?

Kade has popped up in previous books as a side character, so I knew I wanted to write his story. And I really wanted to write an ugly duckling/underdog gets hot story. Kade was the outcast in high school who fell in love with the popular girl (Tessa) and he’s been through hell to get where he is now. This book is his second chance at the one who got away.

What three things do you need in order to write?

Unsweetened iced tea, good music, and alone time in my office. (Though that last one is a preference more than a requirement. I can write when the fam is around and thing are noisy when needed.)

If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be?

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle. I read it in 5^th grade and though I was already an avid reader, that book made me become an obsessive one.

What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

I spend time with my hubby and son. I love to cook. I dabble in photography. And I read as much as I can because my TBR pile is endless, and I never seem to have enough reading time.

Thank you Roni for visiting My Reading Room!

Thanks for having me! : )

My Mini-Review:
Ahhh another book I cannot manage to finish before my review date.  But let me state up front that is not a reflection on the book.  I have stayed up past midnight the last two nights not out of need to finish it (though I really did) but because I was truly caught up in the story and lost track of time, which is no good when you are dealing with a chronic illness and have to get up at 6:00 in the morning.  Let's just say the last two mornings haven't been my best. I am over halfway through and I would have finished but I just have so much going on, a sick kid, a sick kitten, heat that went out last night (probably the coldest night around here in the last month), and just life in general.

But back to the book.  This one will completely draw you in.  I read the back cover copy a little over a month ago so I didn't remember the Kade knew Tessa in high school storyline so it came as a total surprise.  I loved it though and it made me really cheer for the two of them.  I think I was endeared to Tessa right off the bat because of her strength to leave a horrible husband and make a new start with very little and the more I got to know of Tessa's backstory the more I liked her.  Kade was obviously hot and in control but getting to know him in high school gave him even more dimension and made me fall in love with him.  But this isn't an unrequited love or revenge story so that is nice.  This is Kade and Tessa falling for each other as Kade teaches Tessa that she can be independent and she can have what she wants in and out of bed.  It's hot, definitely hot.  The attraction between the two is scorching and then Kade's secret life element adds even more.

But it's even more than that.  And I can see the conflicts coming from a mile away, but I can't wait to see how Ms. Loren handles them.  I will be picking this book back up to finish it for a full review as soon as I get home from baseball game #2 tonight.  I need to know what will happen between these two!

So just based on the first half of the book, this is going to be amazing.  I read 25% of the book each of two evenings, which I can hardly carve at that time lately so that should say something.  The book flies by as you become so immersed in the life of these two wonderful characters.

My Mini-Review Rating: 4.5/5.0

Summary

She’s making a wish list, and he wants to be on top.

From foster kid to trophy wife, Tessa McAllen is about to reinvent herself all over again—and defy every insult her cheating ex-husband ever used against her: Selfish? She’s championing a charity. Stupid? She’s getting her degree.

Boring in bed?

Kade Vandergriff can help her with that one. When they encounter each other at a singles event held at one of his restaurants, Tessa blurts out that kink is for girls who try too hard, and Kade instantly wants to show this sassy stranger how thrilling a night under his command can be…...but when he learns her name, the game changes for both of them.

In high school, Tessa was the popular girl who stuttering, awkward Kade fell for. But she chose another. Now, as she eagerly learns lesson after lesson, he’s going to make sure she never forgets him again.

Buy Links

The BookDepository

IndieBound
Books-a-Million 

Author Biography

Roni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. Though she’ll forever be a New Orleans girl at heart, she now lives in Dallas with her husband and son.

If she’s not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her reading, watching reality television, or indulging in her unhealthy addiction to rockstars, er, rock concerts. Yeah, that's it. She is the National Bestselling Author of The Loving on the Edge series from Berkley Heat.

Social Networking Links

Website

Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter

Giveaway:

As part of the tour, I get to giveaway 1 eBook copy of the Riding Desire Box set.  Just enter below (international, ends 4/3)

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.  ***

What's Next 3/27

So last week there was a tie between Dark Witch and Hopeless.  So I guess they will both go on the TBR for when I get a break (which will probably be after middle school baseball season).  Both really interest me so I will get busy reading and reviewing them soon!


So let's play this week.  Help me figure out what to read next.  I'm not including review books, these are either from my shelf, on my iPad (Kindle app) or from the library.  Want to participate? Head over to Icey Books and join in!

Panic by Lauren Oliver (library book and I love all things Lauren Oliver)
Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

Revealed by P.C. and Kristin Cast (library, and yes I am still reading this series)

The spellbinding eleventh and penultimate installment in the #1 New York Times bestselling vampyre series

Drastically altered after her fall at the end of Hidden, Neferet is now more dangerous than ever—and her quest for vengeance will wreak havoc on humans, as well as Zoey and her friends. Chaos is loosed in Tulsa and the House of Night is blamed. Can Zoey stop Neferet in time to keep her anger from escalating to full-on war? Or will someone else have to step in to take the fall?

The House of Night series is an international phenomenon, reaching #1 on U.S., German, and UK bestseller lists, and remaining a fixture on The New York Times Children’s Series bestseller list for nearly 150 weeks and counting. With more than 12 million copies in print, rights sold in thirty–eight countries to date, and relatable, addictive characters, this series is unstoppable. Now, in the eleventh and penultimate installment of the series, the action is more intense and the stakes even higher as Zoey and her friends battle to protect their school and home from devastating evil—all while balancing romances, precarious friendships and the daily drama of the House of Night's halls. 

Long Hard Ride by Lorelei James (A little different than the other two, lol, on my Kindle)
 
Channing Kinkaid itches for a wild western adventure with an untamed man. Enter Colby McKay, bull rider, saddle bronc buster and calf roper. He knows he's found a woman who's up to the challenge of cutting loose. Intrigued by Channing's bold proposition to "horse around" on the road, Colby proposes sexual escapades not only in his bed, but in those of his two rodeo traveling partners. Can Channing give up total control? Especially when not all is as it seems with the sexy trio?




So what should I read this week?  Use Survey Monkey but feel free to leave a comment as well.  I would also love to know if you are participating so I can visit your page.  Have a great week!

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Bloggiesta To Do List

Yes it's that time again.  I haven't done a Bloggiesta in awhile but enjoyed it the first (and I think only) time I did it.  And I have lots in mind for my blog.  I just bought the Blog Design for Dummies book by Melissa Culbertson and have subscribed to her blog as well for things to work on with my blog.  If you want to join in simply click on the button above to be transported to the Bloggiesta website.  See what is going on, check out some other bloggers' goals and come join in!

So here are my thoughts on goals:

1. Update About Me/Contact page
2. Read some of Blog Design for Dummies books and think about putting information to work for my blog.
3. Write at least 4 backlogged reviews.
4. Get my Wednesday, Thursday and Friday memes ready for the next two weeks (at least, if industrious go even further).
5. Get some of my tour posts ready to go except for the reviews so it's easy to post just before the tour date (I'm a procrastinator).  I'm going to go with a goal of at least 2 weeks worth.
6. Visit other blogs, learn things and comment.  Time to build up my community again, I have been very lax.
7. Do some of the mini-challenges.
8. Do the last two weeks worth of Blog Clarity's 10-minute touch-ups.
9. Clean out my in-box, work through some of the review requests.

I may add but that is quite an undertaking.  I will be glad to accomplish some of these, but I am really going to press myself to get busy back with my blog!