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Showing posts from May, 2014

Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Sykes

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Almost a decade ago, prior to the onslaught of New Adult literature, sassy Chic Lit was at the height of its popularity (think Sex in the City, Confessions of a Shopaholic and Bridget Jones's Diary). I bought this book around the same period while craving for something light and fun to read. Its quips and chic repartee was quite the fashion at that time and, hardly admitting to it, I was thoroughly entertained by the hyper reality and indulgence it presented. These Park Avenue princesses get a fair amount of curiosity (perhaps envy, too) with their glamorous lives and foibles. In my case, it was just a guilty pleasure, a random veer from my usual orbit. It was quirky and hilarious in a petty girly kind of way and I'm not sure how the girls got away with almost anything (hey, this is still fiction anyway) but I got carried away all the same by the story.

Book to Film: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

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By far the more stormy and bittersweet of Austen's books, Sense and Sensibility  kept me torn between the two sisters' acute pain in their leap to romantic love among other things. Bereft of Norland Park in the death of Mr. Dashwood, the second Mrs. Dashwood and her three unmarried daughters moved to a cottage in the far countryside. There they settled into spare comforts and little entertainment for company. With their fall on the social ladder, the Dashwood sisters struggle to find acceptance and in their own ways reach out, though almost futile, to claim their happiness. I could not help but be drawn to the quiet steadfastness of Elinor but at the same time I am swept by the unreserved Marianne who goes after her passions. There is much turmoil of emotions seeping in the story with its sense of realism among the characters, the plot and between the romances. It downplays the idealistic notions and felicity felt mostly in other Austen works. Not all love stories a

BLOG Tour: A Life Less Ordinary by Victoria Bernadine

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Contemporary Romance/Chick Lit Date Published: December 2012 A Life Less Ordinary is one spectacular read with one great ensemble cast that will have you laughing, crying and basically asking the never ending question of what can you do to change your life. For Rose "Manny" Mankowski, being a 45 year single woman, who was ever dependable at work and never complaining change was some force bulldozing into her life. Never mind that she seems content on the outside, in the inside she has an invisible fantasy boy pal who seems to look like her ideal man and her life is nothing to be happy with. So she ups and quits her job and goes on a roadtrip exploring the great big USA with just a van, the support of her closest friends and yes a virtual stranger whose coming along for the ride so she won't feel so alone. Enter Zeke Powell, a snarky very good looking blogger with an accent, never mind he's been living in the US for the last two decades. He's c

Hidden Treasure by Melody Anne (Billionaire Bachelors #9) A Promo Blitz Giveaway!

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Title : Hidden Treasure Series : Billionaire Bachelors #9 Author : Melody Anne Publication Date : May 19, 2014 Summary : The second book in the Lost Anderson series is here, and it comes to you with a kicking and screaming heiress.  Brielle Storm inherits a dilapidated ranch in the wilds of Montana and she isn’t happy about her situation in the least. She may be moving to her new home, and she may be planning on doing whatever it takes to make her billionaire father happy, but she certainly won’t be doing it with a smile on her face.  No. Brielle plans on coming to Montana, hiring some ranch hand to do all the work, and then getting out of there before the first winter snow has a chance to hit.  Montana isn’t a state that offers predictable weather and Brielle is going to find out that the land isn’t the only thing she has to fear.  When her hotter than any city boy ever dreams of being, cowboy neighbor shows up on her doorstep, Brielle decides th

Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho

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On the morning of November 11, 1997, Veronika decides to die. She takes a handful of sleeping pills expecting never to wake up. * She opens her eyes under the bright fluorescent lights of Villette, a famous and much-feared lunatic asylum, much to her horror. In the wake of her overdose, she was told her heart was badly damaged and she only has a few days to live. Amidst confused feelings of gratitude, the opposite happens to her. Inside the asylum, she is confronted by the idiosyncrasies of fellow patients, their stories and lamentations and, unwittingly, something slowly unfolds within her under the heightened awareness of losing time; her own growing self-discovery, unbidden emotions in flux, a fragile seed of hope to almost live.

Release Day Launch: Goddess Born by Kari Edgren

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We are so excited to bring you the Release Day Launch and Blog Tour for Kari Edgren's GODDESS BORN!! GODDESS BORN is a New Adult Historical Paranormal Romance being published by Carina Press .

Reflections by Elene Salinger (Blog Tour Review )

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Reflection  is the much-anticipated second novel from award-winning author Elene Sallinger.  Reflection  brings us inside the life of Claire’s intriguing best friend Bridget, whose encounter with sexy artist Connor leads to a life-altering and emotionally wrought,  (and steamy) journey of sex, and self-discovery. About the Book The moment Bridget Ross and Connor Reynolds run into each other on the street – quite literally while out on a run – tempers flare. But when the two get together for an apology coffee date, it’s clear that the coffee isn’t the only thing steaming. Connor is a charming artist without purpose. His own tragic pas prevents him from putting down roots or committing to anything. Bridget is feisty but guarded. She’s aching to fill a void in her life but is wracked with guilt over her past and denies herself true pleasure. Can this gorgeous man tempt Bridget to finally succumb to her desires? Review: Reflection , the second

Blog Tour Review: See You in Hell (Mel Goes to Hell #2) by Demelza Carlton

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Synopsis: Hate your job? Try working in HELL! Melody Angel takes a job as a temp at the HELL Corporation. Surrounded by eternal bureaucracy gone mad, demons who love making life miserable, and dying for a decent coffee, it may take a miracle for Mel's mission to succeed. She must find out what evil plans the Lord of Lies has up his sleeve and stop him, using any means necessary. Lucifer and his minions are out to take over the world, but there's more than money at stake when the Devil drives.  Adding trouble and temptation to Mel's job is Luce Iblis, the damnably hot CEO, who has set his smouldering eyes on the new office angel and is determined to claim her, body and soul.  Can ultimate evil and angelic perfection escape a limbo of desire and find a paradise of their own?

Unforgiven by Anne Calhoun

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In my forays to contemporary romance books, I usually stick to the same few authors. Sometimes I like it them fun and quirky, sometimes ocean deep. Unforgiven , perhaps, falls on the latter. After twelve years, Marissa and Adam are about to see each other again on one momentous event: the wedding of Adam's best friend and ex-fiance to be held on Marissa's old family home, Brookhaven. It is a story of second chances and the discovery that life does not really boil down to a bumper sticker. That it is about who and what makes us feel alive, who gives us the overwhelming courage to be forgiving especially of our own failings. Lastly, that it's always been about Marissa and Adam, period.

Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner

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If one digs down further, one may discover little treasures. Just like this barely known classic by Sylvia Townsend Warner (Vita Sackville-West, you're next!). There was much women authors trying to break out in the literary world around early twentieth century, telling not just mere idyllic stories of pastoral landscapes but of reflective opinion and claiming of right. Lolly Willowes  is one good representation of the feminine voice. As a forty-something spinster, Laura is trying to break away from the constraints of her family, away from just being the indispensable 'Aunt Lolly'. Seeking her independence amidst objections, she moved alone to the country air of Buckinghamshire in a little village of Great Mop. In the wild beauty of primeval woods, she connected to nature and its people in ordinary and strange ways. Published three years before Woolf's A Room with a View, Warner had spoken first of women's need to have a life of their own, to escape the conv

Happy Release Day: How To Seduce A Band Geek by Cassie Mae

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Happy Release Day to Cassie Mae for "How To Seduce A Band Geek", we have an exclusive excerpt and giveaway as a special treat today! How to Seduce a Band Geek  (How To #2) by  Cassie Mae 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 disco

The Moonspinners by Mary Stewart

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It's the Crete light that makes everything magical, that and the touch of Mary Stewart. Indeed, I was off to read another one of her suspense books. I've not written any author in the blog as much as her. Her stories are more of something to immerse in and not much a race to solve the puzzle. In  The Moonspinners, even with the element of mystery, the pace dawdles and pulls us up short to appreciate scenic views and little pretty corners. Nicola, our heroine, sets off on her own in a remote village off the island of Crete to enjoy a holiday only to come upon two suspicious strangers while hiking in the mountains. Before long, she got caught between their troubles with a risk to her life.

Cover Reveal: Laura Kaye's Hard To Come By (Hard Ink #4)

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We are extremely excited to bring you the cover reveal for Laura Kaye’s HARD TO COME BY!   Published by Avon Impulse, an imprint of HarperCollins, HARD TO COME BY is a thrilling Romantic Suspense novel in Laura’s Hard Ink Series. It is the third full-length novel in the series and is due to be released on November 25th!! ABOUT HARD TO COME BY: Caught between desire and loyalty… Derek DiMarzio would do anything for the members of his disgraced Special Forces team—sacrifice his body, help a former teammate with a covert operation to restore their honor, and even go behind enemy lines. He just never expected to want the beautiful woman he found there. When a sexy stranger asks questions about her brother, Emilie Garza is torn between loyalty to the brother she once idolized and fear of the war-changed man he's become. Derek’s easy smile and quiet strength tempt Emilie to open up, igniting the desire between them and leading Derek to crave a woman he shouldn’t trust. As the