Comedy

Review: Life in Outer Space

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Title: Life in Outer Space
Author: Melissa Keil
Date of publication: 1 Feb 2013
Genre: YA / Comedy / Realistic fiction

Author's links:
WebsiteGoodreads
My rating: 4 stars





Goodreads Blurb

Life in Outer Space is a romantic comedy about a movie geek & the dream girl he refuses to fall in love with. Sam Kinnison is a geek, and he’s totally fine with that. He has his horror movies, his nerdy friends, World of Warcraft – and until Princess Leia turns up in his bedroom, worry about girls he won't. Then Camilla Carter arrives on the scene. She’s beautiful, friendly and completely irrelevant to his plan. Sam is determined to ignore her, except that Camilla has a plan of her own – and he seems to be a part of it! Sam believes that everything he needs to know he can learn from the movies. But perhaps he’s been watching the wrong ones.

My Review

It was sometimes hilarious, sometimes death serious and all of the time quirky and unusual YA book. It tells a story of first love and coming of age of a group of lovable misfits who struggle to find themselves and their place in the world.

The movie quotes and reference  at times came as too much me as someone who is not a fan of horrors and the Star wars saga. Still, it's a very well written story, funny and engaging, taking the reader on a journey in the the world of a group of  very lovable 16/17 year-old misfits. 

Th story is told from Sam's POV and I enjoyed voice a lot. He made sense of the world around him through the movies he was obsessed with and he was borderline OCD about his routine. So, when the new girl in school, Camilla, entered his life, she sent his whole world completely off axis and made him see himself and world in a completely different light. 

Camilla was just wonderful. I was worried that she came off as too good to be true at some point - she seemed perfect, well-adjusted, coping with life with a remarkable ease. Fortunately her perfection was gradually revealed to be just in the eyes of others, and Sam in particular. He saw her, as his complete opposite - someone who, unlike him, knew  how to fit in school and in life. Their friendship which turned into love, showed that she was just as lost and insecure as Sam and his friends. 

Sam's inner musings on life reflected perfectly the confusion of being a teenager. With a dry sense of humour the author made an adequate presentation of the sense of being at a loss, not understanding life, not knowing anything about yourself,  and the others, which is a phase most/all teenagers go through. 

The author has managed to create a very engaging story, realistic and funny at the same time with no excessive drama or dark secrets. All the characters were unique and unusual, yet I found it easy to relate to them and to understand their anxieties. 

I greatly recommend this book. It's funny and up-beat without being cheesy. It put a permanent smile on my face while reading it and it definitely made me feel optimistic and happy about my own life :)

Book Blitz for The Hardest Part by Heather London

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This post is part of The Hardest Part by Heather London Book Blitz. Here is some useful info about the book and its author. You can also read an excerpt and enter a giveaway for 1 ebook copy of The Hardest Part.  


Title: The Hardest Part 
Author: Heather London 
Publication date: January 5th 2014 
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Add on Goodreads

Purchase links: Amazon / B&N





Synopsis:

Emily Anderson and Reed Alexander are living with pasts they cannot escape.

Emily moved to New York City seeking a fresh start, intending to focus on her career and to keep a low profile.

Reed returns home to New York City after two years, haunted by the same things that pushed him away years ago.

When Reed and Emily meet, their connection is undeniable, but Emily keeps her feelings hidden. Falling in love is the last thing on her mind and she knows the danger it may bring not only to her, but to Reed as well. Reed isn’t as reluctant, but he knows that the demons he’s fighting could destroy Emily.

The harder they try to resist one another, the deeper they fall in love, and the more complicated their lives become.

In the end, they realize that truly loving someone may mean letting them go… and that’s the hardest part.


*** *** *** 

AUTHOR BIO

Heather London is a young adult author who loves to write stories full of fantasy, romance, and science fiction. She is a lover of only the finest of coffee and premium craft beer, but will settle for anything chocolate, regardless of its quality. Heather lives with her husband in Dallas, TX where she is currently working hard on her next project.





Author Links: 

*** *** ***
Excerpt 

"Here, take this. We don't have much time." Mike's frantic voice was loud in my ear. Still dazed, I glanced up at him and saw he was holding an envelope out for me to take. My eyes stared at the envelope, but I couldn't make myself reach out for it.

"Emily." Mike's voice was soft but firm. "I know this is a lot to take in, but I need you to concentrate. Take the envelope." He enunciated the last few words slowly, carefully. 

My hands shook as I reached out for it. "I'm not sure I can do this, Mike." I finally found my voice. "This is crazy. I—I don't know where to go." Once I had the envelope in my grasp, it felt like it weighed a hundred pounds.

"You can do this. This life you've been living, this isn't a life for you. Anywhere is better than here." 

I felt the darkness closing in around me. I could feel my throat getting tighter. My breaths were short and quick. If I didn't calm myself down, I was going to have a full-fledged panic attack. My mind was still trying to process what was happening.

The person I trusted most in the world had woken me up in the middle of the night, just thirty minutes ago, telling me to get dressed and be quiet. I didn't question Mike then. I didn't question him when he led me out of the penthouse suite, or when we he led me down the hall to the back stairwell and came out at the back of the casino. I still didn't question him when I saw his car parked at the end of the dark alley, or when we pulled away from the building without an explanation of any kind. It wasn't until we pulled onto the highway and the bright lights of the Vegas strip were behind us that I finally asked what was going on.

"You're getting out of here, Emily. You're going to get as far away from here as possible," he’d told me.

It was only then that it hit me. He was helping me escape. He was helping me get away from Jake. I was too stunned to say anything then, and I was too afraid to say anything now.

"Emily, are you listening to me? We don't have much time." Mike’s voice was louder now, more demanding. I blinked away my thoughts and looked up at him. He stood a good foot and a half taller than me, his gray hair receding almost to the point of baldness. He was old enough to be my father, and truth be told, he was the closest thing I’d ever had to one. 

As I stood here now, I felt like a scared little girl—not sure what to do, looking up at him for the answers. 

"The bus should take you to the main station downtown. From there, you choose where to go. You choose how to live your life." He frowned and then his face twisted into something else entirely—tortured and sad. He and I both knew this was probably the last time we’d ever see each other.

"There's a passport, social security card, and twenty thousand dollars in the envelope. It should be enough for you to get on your feet and start a new life, one far away from here." His voice cracked on the last couple words. He cleared his throat, trying to cover up his weakness.

"I don't want his money, Mike." I shoved the envelope back out to him to take. I didn't want any part of him near me.

"It's my money, Emily. Money that I've earned and saved. It's mine and I want you to have it."

"It's still a part of him." I shook my head. "And I can't take your money."

"All those years I looked away. Let him treat you like nothing. All those times I should have helped you. I'll never forgive myself for letting him hurt you for so long." He closed his eyes and paused for a moment, his lips forming into a hard, tight line. "Take it. I need you to take it."

*** *** *** 
Giveaway

To celebrate the release of her book Heather London has kindly provided one ebook copy of The Hardest Part. The giveaway is open internationally. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Feature

Teaser Tuesday 44

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Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Here are the rules:

• Grab your current read 
• Open to a random page 
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 
• Be careful not the include spoilers! 
• Share the title & author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers. 

I have modified them slightly for my Teasers. It will not be two sentences from a random page but two, usually more, sentences from the pages I have read so far that have struck me as most interesting, original or that I just happen to like a lot.

This week's teaser comes from The Chocolate Temptation by Laura Florand (my review). It book 6 in her Amour et Chocolat series and I have read the last three and really enjoyed them a lot. They are all tender and very sensual romantic stories of troubled French chocolatiers meeting, courting and winning some fabulous American women. 

The Chocolate Temptation can be read as a standalone but I'd recommend that you read The Chocolate Heart (my review) before that since it's there that we meet Patrick and Sarah for the first time and the stories in these two books take place parallel to one another. 

" Her heart hiccuped at that word you, pronounced as if it was some glorious prize. As if no more wondrous prize could even exist. "I'm not ... I'm not Cinderella?""

The Chocolate Temptation - Laura Florand


Goodreads Blurb

She hated him.
Patrick Chevalier. The charming, laid-back, golden second-in-command of the Paris pastry kitchen where Sarah worked as intern, who made everything she failed at seem so easy, and who could have every woman he winked at falling for him without even trying. She hated him, but she’d risked too much for this dream to give up on it and walk out just so he wouldn’t break her heart.

But he didn’t hate her.
Sarah Lin. Patrick’s serious, dark-haired American intern, who looked at him as if she could see right through him and wasn’t so impressed with what she saw. As her boss, he knew he should leave her alone. The same way he knew better than to risk his heart and gamble on love.

But he was never good at not going after what – or who – he wanted.

He could make magic out of sugar. But could he mold hate into love?


Dystopia

Top Ten Tuesday 17

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Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme hosted The Broke and the Bookish. There is a new topic for each week and the participating bloggers are invited to post their Top Ten lists on it.


Top Ten Worlds I'd Never Want to Live in and 
 Characters I'd Never Want to Trade Places with

I made a mixture of worlds I don't want to live in and characters I don't want to be. My list includes 6 dystopian worlds, 3 boy/girl couples I wouldn't trade places with and 1 lonely namesake, Ellie, whose story I like a lot but wouldn't want it to be mine.

The Divergent series - a world divided in fractions, set against one another - it's not a nice place to live

The Delirium series - I loved the first book, even though I am disappointed with way things ended in the final book. A world where love is considered a dangerous disease and people are cured of it by a form of lobotomy is definitely not the place for me

The Maze Runner series - this is a favourite series of mine. I loved the action, the mystery and most of all the characters, but the world they lived in was a rather cruel place

The Black Dagger Brotherhood series - vampires living among us (they are the good guys), lessers chasing them and people caught in the middle. The brothers are super hot alpha males and I love them but the blood-sucking is too much for me :)

The Hunger Games - no comments needed, I guess. 



The Legend series - another favourite series. A violent world where the individual life means nothings.




Rachel / Isaiah from Crash into You by Katie McGarry. He is a foster care child and she is the replacement child for a daughter that died. They find happiness together but still, I wouldn't to trade places with them.

Adam / Mia from If I Stay series by Gayle Forman - another happy couple in the end but the trauma they had to go through and survive is just too much

Carmine and Haven from the Forever series (Sempre) by J M. Darhower - he is destined to be the Heir in the Chicago mob and she is a slave. None of them has an easy life.

Ellie from The Artist Trilogy by Karina Halle - a con artist, betrayed by her own family, chased by a Mexican drug lord, Ellie has far too many battles to fight for her happiness.



What's on your TTT list today? Leave me a comment with a link and I'll stop by your blog to check it out :)

Chocolatiers

Review: The Chocolate Temptation by Laura Florand

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Title: The Chocolate Temptation (Amour et Chocolat #6)
Author: Laura Florand
Date of publication: 15 Jan 2014
Genre: Romance / Paris / Chocolatier

Author's links:
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 4 stars



Goodreads Blurb

She hated him.
Patrick Chevalier. The charming, laid-back, golden second-in-command of the Paris pastry kitchen where Sarah worked as intern, who made everything she failed at seem so easy, and who could have every woman he winked at falling for him without even trying. She hated him, but she’d risked too much for this dream to give up on it and walk out just so he wouldn’t break her heart.

But he didn’t hate her.
Sarah Lin. Patrick’s serious, dark-haired American intern, who looked at him as if she could see right through him and wasn’t so impressed with what she saw. As her boss, he knew he should leave her alone. The same way he knew better than to risk his heart and gamble on love.

But he was never good at not going after what – or who – he wanted.

He could make magic out of sugar. But could he mold hate into love?

My review

We met Patrick and Sarah in the previous book in this series, The Chocolate Heart (my review). We didn't get to see her much, but Patrick was strongly present and I really enjoyed his humour and the way his character relieved some of the tension in Luc and Summer's relationship. I was really excited when I heard that we'll be getting his (and Sarah's) story next.

As we go deep into the inner world of both Patrick and Sarah in this book, we see that there is a lot more to him than just good-natured fun and easy-going banter in the kitchen. He is a troubled hero, much like Luc and Dominique before him and he works hard to hide his true self from the world.

Sarah was a wonderfully complex character as well. She had an unusual background story which was slowly revealed and it justified her shy and reserved behaviour towards Patrick, as well as her determination and strong will to succeed in the kitchen.

Their relationship was further complicated by the fact that he was her boss and both were worried how their feelings would affect their work. The build up was rather slow, they tip-toed around each other for the longest time. At some point I wanted them to talk to each other already.

Their relationship helped them see themselves in a new light. There was this huge difference between who they thought they were and how the other saw them. Their relationship was truly life-changing for both of them. They faced their biggest fears in the name of love and ultimately found themselves and their happiness.

I really enjoyed the parallel events in their lives - she was an engineer who wanted to be a pastry chef, he was a top pastry chef who had dreamt of being an engineer all his life. It added another dimension to their relationship and it worked really well creating a sense of meant-to-be love.

The story is told with the characteristic sensual writing style of this series, though I struggled at times with the writing, too complex sentences, too many metaphors. Food and and desserts in particular were a means for the characters to express themselves, their feelings in the best possible way. I loved the fairytale metaphors int this story - the Cinderella's silver slippers had huge significance  for Sarah both in her personal life and in her career, Patrick's interpretation of Prince Charming was one of the highlights of the story for me.

I have only two minor complaints about this book. The characters had great sexual chemistry which was very tenderly and emotionally presented. I really didn't like the scene with the bondage and the safe word. I felt it was out of place, I understand that it was connected with the issues of control and surrender which both Patrick and Sarah had, yet it felt awkward for me and in the end it didn't do anything for their relationship.

The other was the ending. It was a happy end in terms for the characters' relationship but it was a bit abrupt and left many unresolved issues. I would have loved to have an epilogue (just like in The Chocolate Heart) just to see how things work out between Patrick and Sarah in the real life after their fairytale begins.

I loved the idea of going after one's dreams, but also being able to change them while preserving who you are. This book offered an interesting study how to open you to someone, to give yourself to them without losing who you are. Love is wanting to help the other person achieve their dreams and including the other person in your own dreams, making a new dream for you two.

The romance in the story doesn't get better than this - Paris, the Opera, The Eiffel Tower. It can melt every girl's heart and it definitely melted mine and made me dream of visiting Paris with the love of my life.

psychological thriller

Review: Otherwise Unharmed by Shay Savage

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Title: Otherwise Unharmed (Evan Arden #3)
Author: Shay Savage
Date of publication: 5 Dec 2013
Genre: Psychological thriller, Male POV

Author's links:
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 4 stars




Goodreads Blurb

After Evan Arden was imprisoned by the enemy for a year and a half, he returned from the desert as a military hero. He’d suffered some minor injuries during his captivity, was discharged from the Marines with just a touch of shellshock, but was considered otherwise unharmed. Now he wonders how he ended up where he is now – incarcerated in Chicago’s Metropolitan Correctional Center for using his sharpshooting expertise to take out the neighborhood park with a high-powered sniper rifle and multiple rounds of ammunition.

Lia Antonio, the woman he rescued from the desert heat the previous year, is the only person who can bring him out of his sleep-deprived psychosis and mounting PTSD. When she does, Evan knows he can’t just let her go again. He’s never considered leaving the business before – who retires from the mafia? – but he’s determined to get both Lia and himself out of harm’s way.

Evan faces forces from multiple directions as a deal to get him out of jail turns more deadly and dangerous than he ever could have imagined. With a three-way mob war on the horizon and the feds holding evidence over his head, Evan has no choice but to throw himself into the middle of another war-zone.

In his efforts to make things right in his own mind, Evan crosses the wrong man and finds himself on the business end of the cross-hairs. With his observation skills and intelligence, he tries to keep a step ahead of his former co-workers, but this time, it isn’t just his own life on the line – he’s got to protect Lia from the man who once called him son.

My review

This is the final book in the series and it is a perfect blend of the first two - hot sexy romance and action packed psychological thriller.

Iit picks up where book 2 left off - Evan in complete breakdown. Now that Lia is back in his life, she is only person that can save him from the dark abyss of insanity. Suddenly Evan finds himself caring for her more than he expected initially which prompts him to do everything in his power to protect her.

The plot has many twists and turns and kept me on the edge till the end. Just when I thought I knew what would happen and the author surprised me by taking the things in completely new direction.

I found myself deeply emotionally engaged with Evan. He was still cold-hearted, merciless hit man we got to know in the previous books, yet  with Lia now in his life and by his side he started restore some of his former self. I liked that he didn't change overnight, he didn't become suddenly sensitive, caring, remorseful of his past. It was a slow, painful struggle with himself and with everybody around him. 

I liked Lia a lot as well. She was strong and didn't let Evan overtake her completely. She loved him and was ready to help him through everything but she demanded that he trust her with his true story. It was not easy for her accept his past and present. She loved him but some of the things he did bothered her and she didn't try to hide it. It's refreshing to come across a strong and independent heroine who doesn't hesitate to speak her mind.

Like the previous books, this one is also told solely from Evan's POV. I loved his voice - cold, emotionless, yet filled with pain and suffering. His inner struggles, his hallucinations and his warring emotions were captivating. His obsessive need to protect and take care of Lia became a bit repetitive around the middle of the book but they were also understandably given his situation.

The ending was a bit too good to be true. It was sweet and I appreciate the chance of peaceful life Evan got but it affected slightly authenticity of the book. I can't imagine trying to leave the Mafia would work exactly like this.

Overall, I enjoyed this series very much. I liked the male POV, the whole mob world, the behind the scenes in the mind and soul of an ex-Marine, a POW, a hit man and his love for a beautiful strong woman which ultimately saves him from himself.

The secondary characters were also well drawn, the Mafia world was rich and realistic. Odin, Evan's dog had a special place in the whole story which I quite enjoyed.

I would definitely recommend this series to fans of the psychological thriller who are looking for realistic stories and are not afraid of some violence and a lot of dark emotions.

psychological thriller

Review: Otherwise Occupied by Shay Savage

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Title: Otherwise Occupied (Evan Arden #2)
Author: Shay Savage
Date of publication: 14 Dec 2012
Genre: Psychological thriller, Male POV

Author's links:
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 4 stars




Goodreads Blurb

Evan Arden is a hit man for a Chicago mob boss. He lives his life day to day with the company of his dog, Odin. He has to work hard to get back into his boss’s good graces, but the target proves to be difficult. As demons of his past begin to haunt him, he seeks the comfort of sleep from an unlikely candidate, but will confiding in her be his undoing?​

​He’s struggling to forget his past, and keep himself Otherwise Occupied.


My Review

This is the second book in the series and the first full length novel on Evan Arden. I quite liked his voice when we first met him in Otherwise Alone (my review). After reading this book, I am fully convinced that Ms Savage writes fascinating male POVs  which is rare for female authors. Evan's voice and personality are just as powerful and engaging as Sebastian's in Surviving Raine - authentic voice of a broken male character. 

This installment in the series was not a romance, as I expected, it was not even romantic suspense. It's a rather a psychological thriller with strong suspense/action elements, we are drawn deep into the mind and soul (what's left of it) of Evan. I liked his voice in the first book, I was glad to get to know him better. 

He is a difficult character to like - he is so cold-blooded in his job that it gives me the shivers. Yet, he is so hard on himself, as well. The things he went through can't justify what he does at present, but still they give a reasonable explanation why he is the way he is.

I missed Lia in this book and I was conflicted about Bridgett. Her relationship with Evan does have some vague romantic elements (mostly on her part, but he also developed feelings for her, even though he was reluctant to admit it even to himself). I felt bad about Bridgett and wanted some sort of happy ending for her, though it would have been improbable. Still, I don't think she deserved what happened to her.

The story is full of twists and turns that kept me on the edge all the time. The final 1/4 was really intense both emotionally and in terms of action - Evan's inner turmoil reached its breaking point and it was presented very vividly, grabbing my full attention until the end of the book.

I feel bad about Evan and I sympathize with his situation and I really, really want him to get this happily ever after. Evan is not a good guy and he after everything he did he can never be one, yet Ms Savage made me feel deep for his suffering without being melodramatic and overly sentimental. He is a lost soul in this book, there is very little humanity left in him and I am curious how he will manage to redeem himself in the final book.

The end is not a real cliffhanger but it did made me anxious to read the next book as soon as possible. The epilogue from Lia's POV did give me a ray of hope amid Evan's complete desperation.

Feature

Teaser Tuesday 43

02:30


Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Here are the rules:

• Grab your current read 
• Open to a random page 
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 
• Be careful not the include spoilers! 
• Share the title & author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers. 

I have modified them slightly for my Teasers. It will not be two sentences from a random page but two, usually more, sentences from the pages I have read so far that have struck me as most interesting, original or that I just happen to like a lot.

This weeks teaser is from Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh. This is an oldish title (2006) and it's the first in her Psy-Changleling series. I finished the book yesterday and I really enjoyed it. It was my first shapeshifters book and I find the part-human, part-animal characters extremely attractive. I am currently reading the next book in the series, Visions of Heat and since book 12 came out last year, I have a lot of reading ahead of me.

I have chosen a longer teaser this time but it didn't feel right to cut it to just two sentences, so I have kept all the 5 sentences since they tell so much about both main characters and also are indicative of the beautiful writing style of Ms Singh:

"Sascha had somehow become firmly lodged inside of him, a vibrant presence in the heart of hearts where only a mate could go. Now her light, too, was flickering in a storm he couldn't block, danger he couldn't even see. His helplessness devastated him. He was furious at fate for giving him a mate he couldn't keep safe. Perhaps that was why he'd been willfully blind to a truth the panther had known form the start - he hadn't wanted to suffer as he'd done once before, hadn't wanted to bleed his heart's blood."

Slave to Sensation - Nalini Singh

Goodreads Blurb

In a world that denies emotions, where the ruling Psy punish any sign of desire, Sascha Duncan must conceal the feelings that brand her as flawed. To reveal them would be to sentence herself to the horror of “rehabilitation”—the complete psychic erasure of everything she ever was…

Both human and animal, Lucas Hunter is a Changeling hungry for the very sensations the Psy disdain. After centuries of uneasy coexistence, these two races are now on the verge of war over the brutal murders of several Changeling women. Lucas is determined to find the Psy killer who butchered his packmate, and Sascha is his ticket into their closely guarded society. But he soon discovers that this ice-cold Psy is very capable of passion—and that the animal in him is fascinated by her. Caught between their conflicting worlds, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities—or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation…


Feature

Top Ten Tuesday 16

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Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme hosted The Broke and the Bookish. There is a new topic for each week and the participating bloggers are invited to post their Top Ten lists on it.


Top Ten Things On My Reading Wishlist
(7 characters/plots I'd like to see more often in books)

I came up with only 7 suggestions on today's topic. They are anything totally unheard of (and they cannot be), rather these are themes/types of characters I have read and enjoyed and I want to read more similar stories. 

Romances with children – couples having children together or raising children from previous relationships. I am not a big fan of the secret baby plot, but I adore babies/children in romances. They make the stories closer to really and generally add a sweet, funny undertones to the plot.

Married couples in trouble, or established romantic relationships undergoing change - This is where  the romances usually end - the couple gets together and live happily ever after.Well, I am curious about life in the happily ever after.

Romantic stories from male POV - overall they are quite rare and the good ones, even more so

Stronger, more independent heroines - I just hate weak heroines and feel that we have too many of them and not nearly enough of strong, modern, independent women, especially in romance but not only there.

Quirky/awkward heroes and heroines - I have a soft spot for awkward, unusual, unique characters.

Characters with mental issues – I'd love to read more books on how they fit in society, how normal their lives can be.

Professional heroes/heroines – teachers, doctors, officer workers, sales assistants – everyday, normal working people.

What would you like to read more about? Leave me a comment with a link to your TTT post and I'll stop by to check it out :)

Novella

Review: Otherwise Alone by Shay Savage

23:58

Title: Otherwise Alone (Evan Arden #1)
Author: Shay Savage
Date of publication: 14 Dec 2012
Genre: Romance, Male POV, Novella

Author's links:
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 4 stars




Goodreads Blurb

Lieutenant Evan Arden sits in a shack in the middle of nowhere, waiting for orders that will send him back home - if he ever gets them. Other than his loyal Great Pyrenees, there's no one around to break up the monotony. The tedium is excruciating, but it is suddenly interrupted when a young woman stumbles up his path. 

He has two choices - pick her off from a distance with his trusty sniper-rifle, or dare let her approach his cabin and enter his life.

Why not? It's been ages, and he is otherwise alone...

My Review

Otherwise Alone is a novella which serves as a prequel in the Evan Arden series. It's completed in itself  and can be read as a standalone, though I would recommend to continue with the rest of the series.

I am usually not a fan of novellas but I really enjoyed this one. It was told from the POV of the hero, Evan Arden, and I liked his voice a lot. He is a professional sniper - very observant, distanced, cold-hearted, yet chanced meeting with Lia in the middle of nowhere breaks his barriers in just 24 hours they establish a strong connection. There was nothing ordinary about their meeting and it proved fateful for both of them. T

Both Evan and Lia are well developed characters and their encounter was super hot and sexy but also emotionally intense and a sort of revelation for them both. Despite the short length of the story I was quickly involved in the characters' lives. The short length of the book doesn't allow for a full fledged romance to develop but there is a lot of passion and super hot sexy times which ultimately lead to a deeper emotional connection between the characters.

What liked most in this novella besides Evan's voice, was the completeness of the story. It doesn't have a happy end, it is more of an open ending but it fitted perfectly. 

It is a promising beginning of an interesting series which offers an intriguing combination of psychological thriller and romance. 

Laura Florand

Release event for The Chocolate Temptation by Laura Florand

00:00

The latest book in the Amour et Chocolat series by Laura Flroand, The Chocolate Temptation, was just released. It tells the story of Patrick and Sarah whom the reader met in Luc's kitchen in The Chocolate Heart. I really enjoyed the previous two books in this series and I am excited about this one. 

It is a passionate romantic story of two complex people dealing with their own issues and going after their dreams only to end up together and with a new common dream. 

Author: Laura Florand

Genre: Contemporary romance

Add on Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes & Nobles / Kobo






Synopsis

She hated him.
Patrick Chevalier. The charming, laid-back, golden second-in-command of the Paris pastry kitchen where Sarah worked as intern, who made everything she failed at seem so easy, and who could have every woman he winked at falling for him without even trying. She hated him, but she’d risked too much for this dream to give up on it and walk out just so he wouldn’t break her heart.

But he didn’t hate her.
Sarah Lin. Patrick’s serious, dark-haired American intern, who looked at him as if she could see right through him and wasn’t so impressed with what she saw. As her boss, he knew he should leave her alone. The same way he knew better than to risk his heart and gamble on love.

But he was never good at not going after what – or who – he wanted.

He could make magic out of sugar. But could he mold hate into love?


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About the author: 

Laura Florand is the international bestselling author of the Amour et Chocolat series. Her books have been translated into seven languages, received the RT Seal of Excellence and starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, and been recommended by NPR, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal, among others. Four of her past five books have been recommended reads by Dear Author and two have been Sizzling Book Club Picks by Smart B*, Trashy Books.

Laura was born in a small town in Georgia, but the travel bug bit her early. After a Fulbright year in Tahiti, a semester in Spain, and backpacking in New Zeland and Greece, she ended up living in Paris, where she met and married her own handsome Frenchman. You can find out quite a bit more about those crazy adventures in her memoir, Blame It on Paris. She is now a lecturer in Romance Studies at Duke University. Contrary to popular opinion, that means she studies and teaches French language and culture, rather than romance. 

Author's links:


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A moment in Sarah Lin’s life as an intern in one of the top pastry kitchens in the world, with Patrick Chevalier as the second responsible for correcting her mistakes and training her to get things right. He’s just had to toss out one of four of the plates she is prepping because they weren’t good enough.


Excerpt

Patrick winked at her, stacking her rejected plates out of the way. “Let me show you a trick, Sarabelle. For just how easy these plates can be.”

Oh, no. Oh, but yes. She craved it every time.

He came around the counter, always such a casual grace to him that one forgot how fast and precisely he moved. Maybe he forgot it, too. He had grown up in this environment; maybe everything felt in slow, relaxed motion to him.

Warmth wrapped around her body from behind. “Like this, Sarabelle.” His voice just seemed to rub over the top of her head. A long arm fitted itself to her much shorter one, and through two layers of thick chef’s jackets, she felt its strength. Like a fencer’s, but a fencer who fenced non-stop every day for sixteen hours. His cheek nestled in next to hers, the gold-streaked bronze of his hair tickling her temple, a strand catching against the far edge of her eyelashes. Just for a second, that close, his scent, warm and male, snuck through all the scents of lemon and butter and vanilla and cinnamon and chocolate and strawberry and fresh-crushed almonds, the layering of aromas so thick even human sweat rarely managed to assert a presence.

“Relax.” He squeezed her wrist just a little. 

And, of course, she did. It was terrible how little she could help it, and how wonderful it felt, when all her muscles yielded themselves up to him.

He laughed and guided her hand closer to his mouth as he bent to it, bent her body with him, his hand cupping hers. Pleasure washed through her. This felt so right. She could get nothing wrong. For one second, with him controlling her, she could only get everything right. His chest pressed into her back, in that graceful dip over the plate she had seen him make a hundred thousand times. His breath ran, so faintly it could have been the touch of sunlight, over her bared wrist, swirling in her palm. He adjusted the angle. Air glided over her finger, and gold dust swirled from it as his other arm, circling around her, deftly guided the plate under the fall, turning it to get the sweeping look of the “ashes” perfect.

“There.” He gave her that quirky smile that made her feel as if she was standing at the very edge of a cliff above a turquoise sea, ready to drop into his arms naked, roll over and over with him on a sun-washed beach. “Got it?” With a wink, he was gone. 

She tried to catch herself back, but her toe caught on the edge of that imagined cliff just as the waves pulled back, and she fell splat on the jagged rocks below.

Her toes curled so tightly in her shoes they hurt. She couldn’t tell the difference between his plate and hers. Not at all. Six months of brutal, expensive courses at Culinaire, nearly five months as an intern, huge debts she was trying to juggle on her stagiaire stipend of four hundred euros a month, and she couldn’t see it. Almost, almost, but not really, she could almost feel the difference, tickling in her palm where his breath had been.

She curled her fingers over that palm, trying to hold that brush of breath to it. And she hated him for that breath. She hated him as hard as she could.

*** *** *** 

Giveaway: To celebrate the release of The Chocolate Temptation Ms Florand is giving away one ebook copy of her previous book, The Chocolate Heart. The giveaway is open internationally. 

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A. L. Jackson

Review: Come to Me Quietly by A. L. Jackson

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Title: Come to Me Quietly (Closer to You #1)
Author: A. L. Jackson
Date of publication: 7 Jan 2014
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult

Author's links:
Website / Facebook / TwitterGoodreads

My rating: 3 stars




Goodreads Blurb

Aleena Moore is content with her life. She has goals and dreams and an easy smile. She also has a secret she holds locked inside.

Jared Holt believes he doesn’t deserve to love or be loved. He destroys everything he touches. Haunted by the mistake that shattered his life, he’s fled from the memory of that pain.

Jared doesn’t know why he’s compelled to return, but finds himself drawn back to the place where it all began. The exact place where it ended. When he runs into his childhood best friend, Aleena’s older brother Christopher, he agrees to share Christopher and Aleena’s apartment while he looks for a place of his own.

Aleena is no longer the little girl Jared remembers from his past and evokes feelings in him he never wanted to feel again. Terrified of destroying her, he fights to keep her away. But her touch is something he can’t resist—the touch that sealed his fate.

Their pasts are intertwined and their futures uncertain. The only truths they know are the secrets they whisper in the night.

My Review

This story was a fairly typical New adult romance following all the cliches of the genre. As a fan of romance I don't mind certain tropes even though they are predictable. I enjoy them when they are well done. Here we have the sister falling for her big brother's best friend combined it with the virgin heroine trying to save the bad boy (tattooed and riding a bike) with a tragic past. It is bound to angst-filled and engaging but it didn't work very well for me. 

What I liked was the writing style of Ms Jackson - emotional and intense, very powerful at conveying the deep and conflicting emotions of the characters, Jared in particular. He was the best thing in this story. His guilt, his inner torment, his feelings for Aleena and his reluctance to give in to them, they all felt real and convincing. I could related to him the most from all the characters. He made me angry off with his hesitance to act and his self-loathing was too much, yet there was development in his character, he came to realize and accept certain things and this made him even more realistic as a character. 

I didn't particular like or dislike Aleena. She was just bland, unremarkable. She had loved Jared since they were children and she was ready to stand by him and help him cope with his past when they met again as adults. She was defined solely through her love of Jared and I didn't get much of her personality. Everything in her past and present was related to him in one way or another. 

I am not a big fan of contemporary stories where the romance part takes paranormal dimensions - one look and they are soulmates for life. I felt that the feelings Jared and Aleena had for each went into the direction of the supernatural, meant-to-be reality which was somewhat annoying. 

I found the whole book too long. The middle section was focused entirely on the character's inner monologues and became repetitive. Nothing really happened, just Jared and Aleena going on in circles about their feelings.

I was mostly disappointed with the secondary characters and the lack of depth in their portrayal. Christopher, Aleena's brother and Jared's best friend was instrumental to the story development (he brought Jared back int their lives and he was the one who made him leave) but felt more like a plot device than a real person. There was no story with him - he embodied very cliches of the college guy in NA books - a player, going for easy girls, no job or real studying going on. He was oblivious to anything besides his own life which consisted pretty much of girls and parties. 

The story doesn't end with a cliffhanger which I greatly appreciate. There are lot of things to clear out for Jared and Aleena  and their story will be continued in book 2 which comes in July 2014.

Feature

Teaser Tuesday 42

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Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Here are the rules:

• Grab your current read 
• Open to a random page 
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 
• Be careful not the include spoilers! 
• Share the title & author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers. 

I have modified them slightly for my Teasers. It will not be two sentences from a random page but two, usually more, sentences from the pages I have read so far that have struck me as most interesting, original or that I just happen to like a lot.

This week's teaser comes from Otherwise Occupied by Shay Savage. It's the second book in her Evan Arden series and it's rather a suspense thriller involving a mob hitman and his gradual loss of sanity. It's the middle book in the series and although it doesn't have the hot romance of the novella Otherwise Alone, it does portray Evan Arden a complex, tortured hero. It will be continuing with the final book in the series, Otherwise Unharmed, right away.

"I don't think anything I have to offer a woman is in her best interest. Seriously, you've got a better idea of how...of what I've...of what happened. How could I ever try to explain that to a date?"

Otherwise Occupied - Shay Savage 


Goodreads Blurb

Evan Arden is a hit man for a Chicago mob boss. He lives his life day to day with the company of his dog, Odin. He has to work hard to get back into his boss’s good graces, but the target proves to be difficult. As demons of his past begin to haunt him, he seeks the comfort of sleep from an unlikely candidate, but will confiding in her be his undoing?​

​He’s struggling to forget his past, and keep himself Otherwise Occupied.


ARC

Review: The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley

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Title: The Emperor's Blades (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne #1)
Author: Brian Staveley
Date of publication: 14 Jan 2014
Genre: Epic Fantasy

Author's links:
Website / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 5 stars



Goodreads blurb

When the emperor of Annur is murdered, his children must fight to uncover the conspiracy—and the ancient enemy—that effected his death.

Kaden, the heir apparent, was for eight years sequestered in a remote mountain monastery, where he learned the inscrutable discipline of monks devoted to the Blank God. Their rituals hold the key to an ancient power which Kaden must master before it’s too late. When an imperial delegation arrives to usher him back to the capital for his coronation, he has learned just enough to realize that they are not what they seem—and enough, perhaps, to successfully fight back.

Meanwhile, in the capital, his sister Adare, master politician and Minister of Finance, struggles against the religious conspiracy that seems to be responsible for the emperor’s murder. Amid murky politics, she’s determined to have justice—but she may be condemning the wrong man.

Their brother Valyn is struggling to stay alive. He knew his training to join the Kettral— deadly warriors who fly massive birds into battle—would be arduous. But after a number of strange apparent accidents, and the last desperate warning of a dying guard, he’s convinced his father’s murderers are trying to kill him, and then his brother. He must escape north to warn Kaden—if he can first survive the brutal final test of the Kettral.


My Review


I don't read fantasy that often but I have read and enjoyed George Martin's A Game of Thrones and Tolkein's Lord of the Rings series. I picked this book after a friend of mine left it a raving review on Goodreads. Thanks, Litchick :)

It is difficult to review a book that you loved and didn't have any complaints about, still I will try to be as objective as possible in my assessment. 

I read a lot of romance, mostly contemporary and it is relatively easy for me to relate to the characters since their stories are mostly realistic. It is quite different with fantasy. For me a true sign of the writer's mastery is the ability to make the readers connect with character whom we know don't exist and are not real. And I have to admit that I felt pretty close and deeply involved with all the main (even some of the supporting) characters in Mr. Staveley's book. I even cried a bit at the death of one character in a particular, it was a very emotional moment, beautifully presented. (Mr. Stavely, you won't follow George Martin in this direction, will you?)

It is an amazing first book in an epic fantasy series. It starts slowly, creating a complex world, ruled by ancient and new gods and goddesses, an empire in turmoil after the murder of its ruler. This is the story of his heirs - two sons and a daughter and their struggles to fulfill their father's will.  

The narration flows smoothly alternating between Kaden's, Valyn's and Adare's storylines. The focus is on the boys mostly and I wish Adare was given equal attention, though the final plot twist related to her was rather shocking and attention-grabbing. They are evolve but it is more pronounced with the two brothers. It is a coming-of-age story story for both of them where they grow up through enduring hardship and pain. Kaden lives in a monastery and Valyn is training with elite military forces, yet their stories mirror each other in may ways. 

There were a number of plot twists that kept me on the edge the entire time I was reading the book. To say that the plot is interesting would be an understatement, it's captivating, engrossing, utterly absorbing. The story is even more powerful due to the wonderful writing style of the author. The world building is also very well done. We are thrown into a violent by ordinary people and supernatural creatures.

There is a dictionary of terms in the end of the book which comes handy and you can also check out a beautiful map of the Annur's empire on Brain Stavely's blog.

My review can hardly do justice to this amazing fantasy. This book goes straight into my list of best reads of 2013. I strongly recommend it to all fans of the genre and to anyone interested in reading a magical story about the fight between good and evil.

ARC

Review: Three Broken Promises by Monica Murphy

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Title: Three Broken Promises (Drew + Fable #3)
Author: Monica Murphy
Date of publication: 31 Dec 2013
Genre: New Adult, Romance

Author's links:
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 2 stars



Goodreads Blurb

Commitment. That’s what I really want from Colin. Ever since my brother, Danny, died in Iraq, Colin’s done so much to help me, including giving me a job at his popular restaurant so I can leave my crappy waitressing job at the strip joint. But lying in bed with him every night to comfort him from his horrible nightmares isn’t enough anymore. I know he feels guilty about Danny’s death, about not going to Iraq, but I can’t keep living this double life. 

I love him desperately, but he’s got so many demons, and if he can’t open up to me now, then he’ll never be the real partner I need him to be. I gave him a month, and now I’m out of here. If he truly loves me like he says, he knows where to find me.

My Reveiw

I really enjoyed the first two books in series One Week Girlfriend (my review) and Second Chance Boyfriend (my review) which told Drew and Fable's story. Colin and Jen were introduced in them and I was curious to see how they will work as a couple. Unfortunately, I found their story disappointing.

Colin came off as alpha male when he was first introduced - confident, self-assured, successful businessman, protective of Fable, even though she was an employee of his. He seemed strong and mature for his age. In this book I felt like we met a completely different person. He was indecisive, held back by his sense of guilt and failed obligation. He was closed off in his head, attracted to Jen, yet feeling unworthy of actually being with her. His solution to go for a friends-with-benefits sort of relationship was a sing of of his weakness to risk being open about his feelings and to go for what he really wanted.

I didn't like Jen very much, either. She acted immature and made really poor decisions on numerous occasions. She got into one bad situation after another, both in the past and in the present and her total lack of common sense and poor judgement was frustrating. 

On the positive side, Jen and Colin had great chemistry as a couple and love scenes were hot. I was rather annoyed, though, with the constant going back and forth in their relationship. There was far too much negative thinking and introspection on both parts and not enough actual communication. 

What I liked most in this book was the presence of Fable and Drew. She was her sassy, out-spoken self and the episode when Drew gives Colin relationship advise was both funny and spot on. 

Despite my disappointment with Jen and Colin I plan to continue with this series. The conclusion of Drew and Fable's romance, Drew and Fable Forever comes out on Jan 14, and Owen's story, Four Years Later, will be released on Feb 25.

Cats

Review: Girl with the Cat Tattoo by Theresa Weir

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Title: Girl with the Cat Tattoo (Cool Cats #1)
Author: Theresa Weir
Date of publication: 29 May 2012
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Comedy

Author's links:

My rating: 3.5 stars


I am posting this alternative because it is just so cute and fits the story perfectly. The other cover works better as part of the series, that's while I have included it as well. 

Goodreads Blurb

For cat lovers everywhere, this sweet, quirky, and delightful romance is about a young woman and her matchmaking cat. A little bit of mystery, a whole lot of whimsy. 

When a matchmaking cat takes it upon himself to find his young mistress a new mate, he accidentally stirs up memories better left forgotten.

Melody’s husband was murdered by what seemed a random act of violence. Two years later, the killer hasn’t been caught, and Melody is coping in unhealthy ways. During the day she’s a mild-mannered children’s librarian, but at night she’s a party girl, hanging out in bars, drinking with new friends, and often bringing home strange men. Although acquaintances have tried to keep in touch, Melody has cut herself off from most of the people in her old life. Max, her eccentric cat, doesn’t approve of her new friends, he’s tired of the parade of losers, and he finally takes it upon himself to find Melody a new man.


My Review

I read the second book in the series first and I really enjoyed it so I decided to go back and read book 1 as well. And I am glad to say that it turned out be the right decision. This one was just as good, albeit a bit different than Geek with the Cat Tattoo (my review)

It was a quick and cute romantic read. I like the author's laid back writing style and I enjoyed the idea of giving voice to Max the cat. He was funny and sweet, just adorable and I even don't like cats that much. 

I loved the romance in the story and liked both Melody and Joe. They are both very real, ordinary people who find each other with the help of one extraordinary cat. Their story was told very much from Max's POV which made it a rather unusual read.

The author added a strong element of suspense/action which balanced the sweetness of the romance. The action brought Joe and Melody together but it also drove them apart, at least temporarily. 

I don't particularly like name dropping in the books that I read, so at first I was put off by the whole Ellen Degeneres situation but after thinking things through I decided it worked well in the story with Max being the cool cat he is. 

It is not a laugh-out-loud kind of funny book, yet it leaves you with a goofy smile on your face (it's Max's fault mostly, though Melody adds a lot it as well) and with a warm feeling in your heart (I blame Joe for that).

It is the perfect light read that I can recommend to anyone who loves romance mixed with some suspense and whole lot of humor and cat's matchmaking and musings on life and love.

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