Blog Tour: Do You Feel It Too? by Nicola Rendell - Review & Tour-Wide Giveaway!

Do You Feel It Too? by Nicola Rendell 

Publishing Date: November 20, 2018
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Pages: 332
Contemporary Romance

The Premise from the Publisher: "A hot summer night is perfect for feeling your way in the dark… For urban-legend hunter and television host Gabe Powers, it’s business—investigate the most notorious haunted places in Savannah. Then he meets his new sound engineer, a dewy Georgia peach who may just turn this gig into (im)pure pleasure. All it takes is one night for them to conjure floor-rattling, wall-banging moans…but they’re not from the ghosts. Blame the rippling abs, the cocky swagger, the granite jawline, the whole muscle-bulging package, but Gabe is bringing out good-girl Lily Jameson’s dirty side. Damn her code-of-conduct contract—this isn’t just a molten-hot fling. There’s just one kink in the relationship they’ve been avoiding: soon they’ll be going their separate ways. Lily’s home is in Savannah, and Gabe is a globe-trotter at heart. For them to be together, they’ll both have to upend their so-very-different worlds and face their fears in the process. And suddenly things don’t feel so Georgia peachy keen at all" (Montlake).

My overall thoughts and review: I still remember when one of my good friends told me about Nicola Rendell's book Shimmy Bang Sparkle - I read it and LOVED it - review here ;) I knew then that I would be a fan of hers for life. She writes really sexy rom-coms that have you laughing until your stomach is sore but also has you on the edge of your seat with angst and emotions. This one was no different, and I would like to go even further and say that it's my favorite by her so far! The setting is Savannah, and Gabe Powers comes to this city in Georgia to investigate some paranormal and haunted sights. He runs into Lily, and by this, I mean literally-runs-into-her - it's a hilarious moment and then next day, he learns that his boss has hired her to help with the sound on the show. They end up working together, and maybe neglecting the non-fraternization clause. There are many sexy moments, but Gabe is incredibly sweet with Lily and he's the kind of guy that rolls with the punches. Lily has this crazy parrot that is a bit intense and she also helps her sister by babysitting her nephew quite often. Things that may hinder dates, Gabe just takes on and embraces? Seriously, seeing her manage the parrot and babysit at one point in the book was just *heart eyes emoji* everywhere. I loved seeing them fall in love with one another and get out of their comfort zones. Lily has a fear of flying and that's addressed in the story as well. I loved that it was more than simply finding your person, because it was also about finding out where you belong. Absolutely loved this book. It had me smiling the entire time while reading it. I am already looking forward to what Rendell writes next and in the meantime, I'm going to go and read her backlist to tide me over until the next one! 

My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮✮ (5/5 stars)

Available for purchase at:

Chapters/Indigo, Amazon, Kindle, and Book Depository

Tourwide Giveaway!

The winner will receive 1 copy of Do You Feel It Too? by Nicola Rendell!

Giveaway Details: 

Canada Only (excl. Quebec—full rules found in the T&C on Rafflecopter)

Giveaway begins on November 26th and ends on December 13th at 11:59 pm EST

Winner will be drawn randomly through Rafflecopter, contacted via email & will have 48 hours to claim their prize

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Nicola Rendell:

Nicola Rendell, the bestselling author of Shimmy Bang Sparkle, loves writing naughty romantic comedies. After receiving a handful of degrees from a handful of places, she now works as a professor in New England. Nicola’s work has been featured in the Huffington Post and the USA Today blog Happy Ever After. She loves to cook, sew, and play the piano. Her hobbies might make her sound like an old lady, but she’s totally OK with that. For more information and updates, visit www.NicolaRendell.com.

Follow Nicola:

Website → http://nicolarendell.com/

Twitter → https://twitter.com/AuthorNRendell

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/AuthorNRendell

Facebook Readers’ Group → https://www.facebook.com/groups/NicolaRendellsMotherBs 

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/cute_chameleon/

Goodreads → https://bit.ly/2cbTvbx

Nov. 26 – Padfoot’s Library

Nov. 27 – BookCatPin

Nov. 28 – Cupcake and a Latte

Nov. 29 – Between the Spine

Nov. 30 – My Slanted Bookish Ramblings

Dec. 3 – Perpetual Fangirl

Dec. 4 – Simply Patty

Dec. 5 – Turning Pages

Dec. 6 – BritReadsBooks

Dec. 7 – RemarkablyLisa

Disclaimer: I received an advanced readers copy of this book from Thomas Allen & Son in exchange for an honest review and participation in this blog tour. All opinions are my own.

Surprise Christmas Anthology Reveal! Naughty or Nice by Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward, Jodi Ellen Malpas, Marie Force, Emma Chase, Corinne Michaels and Susan Stoker

SIX HOLIDAY THEMED SHORT STORIES,

AVAILABLE FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY!

Blog Tour: Hate Notes by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward - Review & Tour-Wide Giveaway!

Hate Notes by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward

Publishing Date: November 6, 2018
Publisher: Montlake Romance - Amazon Publishing
Pages: 304
Contemporary Romance

The Premise from the Publisher: "It all started with a mysterious blue note sewn into a wedding dress. Something blue. I’d gone to sell my own unworn bridal gown at a vintage clothing store. That’s when I found another bride’s “something old.” Stitched into the lining of a fabulously feathered design was the loveliest message I’d ever read: Thank you for making all of my dreams come true. The name embossed on the blue stationery: Reed Eastwood, obviously the most romantic man who ever lived. I also discovered he’s the most gorgeous. If only my true-love fantasies had stopped there. Because I’ve since found out something else about Mr. Starry-Eyed. He’s arrogant, cynical, and demanding. I should know. Thanks to a twist of fate, he’s my new boss. But that’s not going to stop me from discovering the story behind his last love letter. A love letter that did not result in a happily ever after. But that story is nothing compared to the one unfolding between us. It’s getting hotter, sweeter, and more surprising than anything I could have imagined. Something new. But I have no idea how this one is going to end…" (Montlake).

My overall thoughts and review: I have been a fan of Vi Keeland's writing for quite some time, so when Thomas Allen reached out about a blog tour featuring one of her books, I was totally on board. This is my first time reading something by both Vi and Penelope, and I definitely want to check out what else they wrote now. I LOVED this book. I absolutely adored it. I finished it quite quickly, but I found myself still thinking about it, even weeks later. There's everything that you want in a romance in this book. There's the angst and the sexy, attraction-filled tension build up, there's hilarious moments that make you laugh so hard you want to cry, moments of pure heartache that rip your heart into pieces, and lastly, moments that make your heart so full of love you feel as if your heart could burst out of your chest. You meet two people, who have been dealt horrible hands in love: Reed and Charlotte, who find themselves working together after a strange encounter. Charlotte had a cheating fiancee, and Reed learns months before his wedding what kind of person his fiancee actually is. They both aren't looking for love, and are both still reeling from their previous relationships, but it's clear that there's an undeniable attraction. I loved seeing how they worked together and the moments of tension that built up; in some ways, it's a bit haters to lovers, but it's not like deep-rooted hate, and more just "pull your hair out" kind of irritation. They end up bonding over a "Fuck It List" which is a sort of bucket list, and from there, Charlotte really tries to get Reed out of his comfort zone and to "live" again. There is a twist in terms of one of the characters that I didn't see coming, and I'm glad to see that type of representation present in a romance novel. It's done in a realistic way, but also hopeful which I really appreciated. I loved seeing them fall in love with one another, and I loved them come to a point where they could be open with one another. The story is framed beautifully by the notion of a wedding dress, and having a romantic note sewn in the sides, and I loved seeing the story come full circle with the ending. Again, it's a beautiful story with so much love, and it will have you wishing you had your very own Reed Eastwood in your life! ;) This is definitely up there as one of my favorite romance reads of 2018, so please do yourself a favor and add this book to your shelf today!

My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮✮ (5/5 Reed Eastwood Hate/Love Notes ;))

Available for purchase at:
Chapters/Indigo, Amazon, Kindle, and Book Depository

Tourwide Giveaway!

The winner will receive 1 copy of Hate Notes by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward!

Giveaway Details: 

Canada Only (excl. Quebec—full rules found in the T&C on Rafflecopter)

Giveaway begins on November 12th and ends on November 29th at 11:59 pm EST

Winner will be drawn randomly through Rafflecopter, contacted via email & will have 48 hours to claim their prize

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Penelope Ward:

 

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son and beautiful daughter with autism. 

With over a million books sold, she is a seventeen-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over fifteen novels, including RoomHate which hit #2 on the New York Times bestseller list and #1 on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list. Other New York Times bestsellers include Stepbrother Dearest, Neighbor Dearest, Drunk Dial, Cocky Bastard, Stuck-Up Suit, Playboy Pilot and Mister Moneybags (the latter four co-written with Vi Keeland).

Follow Penelope:

Website → http://penelopewardauthor.com/ 

Twitter → https://twitter.com/PenelopeAuthor

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/penelopewardauthor 

Facebook Readers’ Group → https://www.facebook.com/groups/PenelopesPeeps/ 

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/PenelopeWardAuthor/

Goodreads → https://bit.ly/1WOnzrz

About Vi Keeland:

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author.  With millions of books sold, her titles have appeared in over one hundred Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twenty languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

If you would like to send Vi an email you can reach her at vikeeland@gmail.com 

Want to sign up for her mailing list? You can sign up HERE

Follow Vi:

Website → http://www.vikeeland.com/

Twitter → https://twitter.com/ViKeeland

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/AuthorViKeeland/

Facebook Readers’ Group → https://www.facebook.com/groups/ViKeelandFanGroup/

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/vi_keeland/

Goodreads → https://bit.ly/1BqOVww

Nov. 12 – BookCatPin

Nov. 13 – RemarkablyLisa

Nov. 14 – BritReadsBooks

Nov. 15 – Simply Patty

Nov. 16 – Padfoots Library

Nov. 19 – Stuck in YA Books

Nov. 20 – My Slanted Bookish Ramblings

Nov. 21 – Cupcake and a Latte

Nov. 22 – Between the Spine

Nov. 23 – The Required Reading List

Disclaimer: I received an advanced readers copy of this book from Thomas Allen & Son in exchange for an honest review and participation in this blog tour. All opinions are my own.

[Release Blitz] Falling for the Playboy by Kennedy Fox - Review

 

[Release Blitz] Pucked Love by Helena Hunting

Pucked Love, the final sexy and emotional standalone in the NYT bestselling Pucked Series from New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting, is LIVE!

Blog Tour: Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean - Review and Author Q&A

Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean

Publishing Date: November 6th, 2018
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages: 384
Young Adult Historical Fantasy

The Premise from the Publisher: "In a palace of illusions, nothing is what it seems. Each generation, a competition is held to find the next empress of Honoku. The rules are simple. Survive the palace's enchanted seasonal rooms. Conquer Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Marry the prince. All are eligible to compete-all except yokai, supernatural monsters and spirits whom the human emperor is determined to enslave and destroy. Mari has spent a lifetime training to become empress. Winning should be easy. And it would be, if she weren't hiding a dangerous secret. Mari is a yokai with the ability to transform into a terrifying monster. If discovered, her life will be forfeit. As she struggles to keep her true identity hidden, Mari's fate collides with that of Taro, the prince who has no desire to inherit the imperial throne, and Akira, a half-human, half-yokai outcast. Torn between duty and love, loyalty and betrayal, vengeance and forgiveness, the choices of Mari, Taro, and Akira will decide the fate of Honoku in this beautifully written, edge-of-your-seat YA fantasy" (HMH).

My overall thoughts and review: If you know me, then you will know that at school I primarily study Japanese culture. My focus is more so on contemporary material, but I simply love to read anything inspired by Japanese culture. When I read the premise of this, I was definitely intrigued because it follows various different kami and yokai. To begin with, this is a fantasy inspired by the author's Japanese heritage so I don't think it's meant to take place in a specific time with a fantasy spin. It takes place in a world where there's a palace of illusions with an emperor and every so often there's a competition where girls are thrown into various seasonal rooms, and if they are the last one to survive, then they are made empress. However, this competition is strictly for human girls. We have our main protagonist, Mari, who is a yokai, who plans to enter the competition, marry the prince, and then steal his fortune. Mari comes from a very interesting village of women whose sole purpose is to seduce men and steal their fortune, and they are "free" when they have a daughter afterwards. It's a very rigid structure in which Mari finds herself confined and at the end of the day, the anxieties she feels of wanting to be accepted for who she is and loved for who she is, is very much something that can be related to today. Sure, she resides in a village with strong, independent women, but there are also things expected of her and in a way, she feels she has no choice.

The story also follows two other perspectives: the prince, Taro, who she is supposed to win his affections, and lastly, Akira/The Son of Nightmares, who is other-than-human, with his ghostly like abilities to move. Akira has been with Mari from the beginning and and loves her, but she does not return this love. Whereas, with Taro, she finds herself wanting to actually stay with him if she wins the competition and to make change from there, especially in a world where yokai are collared and have no agency. Taro also has problems in terms of dealing with familial expectations. Though I have to say, I just loved Akira's perspectives and I could easily just read an entire book from his POV alone. I definitely enjoyed the text, but I found it hard at times to suspend my disbelief, and I think that's because it did lull at some parts in the beginning. We have great chapters establishing the character's mindset and anxieties, but then it moves incredibly quickly after that, so I think it's a matter of pacing. Overall, it was a decent fantasy and I definitely enjoyed it more going back after I finished it to reread some passages. The various mythical stories that Jean wove throughout the novel was quite nice because it reminds us that we have a choice and we are not predetermined to walk the same path as those before us.

My rating of the book: ✮✮✮½ (3.5/5 stars)

Available for purchase at:
Chapters/Indigo, Kobo Books, Amazon, and Book Depository (Free Worldwide Shipping)

Author Question and Answer
Q: This book was inspired primarily by your Japanese heritage. I was wondering if there were any particular places in Japan that you looked to for inspiration when you were world building? 

I spent a long time researching castles in Japan. In particular the Palace in Empress of all Seasons is modeled after the Heian Palace.

Disclaimer: An advanced reader's copy of the book was provided by Raincoast Books for participation in the book tour. All opinions of the book are my own.

PRHC Kids Fall-I-Day Preview | November 1, 2018

A few days ago was the annual PRHC Fall-I-Day Kids and Teen Preview for booksellers and bloggers. I always love attending events like this because it definitely helps me as a bookseller when they give you great pitches on what to sell for the holiday season, and also to share with you all as a blogger. They mentioned some highlights that were already out and also some upcoming books for 2019 to look forward to. We also had the lovely Susin Nielsen come talk to us about her two new upcoming books Princess Puffybottom ...and Darryl & No Fixed Address! She is definitely one of my favorite authors and I've had the pleasure of meeting her a few times now, so it's always so much fun to hear her talk and share her stories. I can't wait to check out her two new books!

Below are some books that I'm adding to my TBR. Some are already out in the world, some I plan on giving as gifts (so you have to read them first before you gift them ;)), and some I'm super excited for them to release early next year!

Corduroy Takes a Bow by Viola Davis - I absolutely adore Viola Davis as a human being, so if she's writing a kids book, I'm buying it and adding it to my life. 

Princess Puffybottom ...and Darryl by Susin Nielsen and Olivia Chin Mueller (February 5/19) - I'm mostly a dog person, but this story sounds super adorable. I can't wait to read this and see all the illustrations. 

Narwhal's Otter Friend by Ben Clanton (February 5/19) - I love the Narwhal and Jelly books so much. They are hilarious and super cute. Can't wait to meet this new character! ;) 

The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier and Douglas Holgate - the folks at PRHC were talking about this series and how the story is really good and the art is amazing. I've always loved graphic novels but I want to read more young readers graphic novels. This apocalyptic setting sounds great! 

Hilda and the Troll by Luke Pearson - This has been adapted into a netflix show. I watched an episode when I got home from the preview and I really enjoyed it. I'm totally here for a magical girl going on adventures. 

The Strange and Deadly Portraits of Bryony Gray by E. Latimer - If you know me, you'll know that The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is my ALL-TIME-FAVORITE book. I own an unhealthy and ridiculous amount of copies of that book. I just love it so much. So when they told me this was a young reader's version inspired by it? I'M SO THERE. 

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier - story about an girl and her monster in a Victorian setting? ALL. THE. YES. I love Auxier's writing and this book was recently named as a winner for the 2018 Governor General's award in young people's literature! *slow clap* 

Tales from the Inner City by Shaun Tan (November 6/18) - A combination of poetry, short stories, and beautiful artwork. I can't wait to see this blend of writing and surrealist art! 

No Fixed Address by Susin Nielsen - this story sounds like it's going to be super sweet and also heartbreaking at the same time. It follows Felix and his mother, Astrid, who after losing their apartment in Vancouver must live in a camper van and how they come to terms with that massive change in their life. I love Nielsen's writing so I'm sure this one will be no different. 

The Beauty of the Moment by Tanaz Bhathena (February 26/19) - I read A Girl Like That earlier this year and it is one of my favorite books from 2019. I absolutely loved it and when I heard Bhathena was coming out with a new book, I actually jumped for joy! The story follows Susan who is an artist, and she meets a friend at a fundraiser Syrian Refugees. The premise promises romance, family, and finding yourself. I can't wait to dig in to my copy and start reading it soon! 

Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner (February 26/19) - Jeff Zentner is definitely one of my all time favorite YA authors. The Serpent King will always have a special place in my heart forever. The folks at PRHC promise that this upcoming release by Zentner will have more laughs than tears for the reader. I love YAs that focus on senior year! Can't wait for this! 

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson (November 6/18) - ok, so before you come for me, please know that I have every intention to, but I just haven't. *whispers* I haven't read a Brandon Sanderson book before. *immediately runs and hides* - I will say, I'm also a bit intimidated by some of his series and just the pure length of them. I will however check this one out, because I love starting series as they come out rather than catching up afterwards. This story follows a girl who dreams of being a pilot. Sign me up!! 

Well that's it! Those are the books I've added to my TBR, started pre-ordering, and also begging my local library to stock. What books sounds like your cup of tea? Let me know in the comments below!