Thursday, June 29, 2017

{Blog Tour} The Way It Hurts - Patty Blount (Spotlight & Giveaway)





Patty Blount is offering one (1) lucky winner a $25 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below:
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About The Way It Hurts:

Title: The Way It Hurts
Author: Patty Blount
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: August 1, 2017
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Pages: 352 pages
Format: Paperback and Digital
Print ISBN: 978-1-492632-788
Digital ASIN: B06XR172ZD

Synopsis:

There may be two sides to every story, but sometimes there's only one way to set things right...

Music is Elijah's life. His band plays loud and hard, and he'll do anything to get them a big break. He needs that success to help take care of his sister, who has special needs. So he'd rather be practicing when his friends drag him to a musical in the next town...until the lead starts to sing.

Kristen dreams of a career on stage like her grandmother's. She knows she needs an edge to get into a competitive theater program--and being the star in her high school musical isn't going to cut it. The applause and the attention only encourage her to work harder.

Elijah can't take his eyes off of Kristen's performance, and snaps a photo of her in costume that he posts online with a comment that everybody misunderstands. It goes viral. Suddenly, Elijah and Kristen are in a new spotlight as the online backlash spins out of control. And the consequences are bigger than they both could have ever imagined because these threats don't stay online...they follow them into real life.


Add to your “Want to Read” shelf:  Goodreads

Available at:  Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Kobo  |  iTunes


Advanced Praise for The Way It Hurts:

"Blount writes authentically; both protagonists’ voices are distinct. The author explores the rapidly consuming world of social media and how it affects relationships online and in real life. A relevant read and must-have for all YA collections." – School Library Journal

"THE WAY IT HURTS draws our attention to the joy, heartache and confusing contradictions that arise as we try to find our place in the real world and the virtual one." Kimberly Sabatini

Elijah and Kristen’s personal evolutions through the novel, along with their chemistry, feel as authentic as the conflicts they face. A genuine plot filled with steady tension that will keep readers hooked.” RT Book Reviews


“This book sensitively covers topics such as sexism, handicapping conditions, communication, and ageism. Agency is also shown when Kristen says she wants to pursue studying in a conservatory rather than continue in the band and the three young men acknowledge her wish. Talking about what bothers us rather than trying to guess another person’s feelings is demonstrated through the actions of the characters. The characters’ issues are eventually resolved through hard work and understanding, making this an interesting and informative read." School Library Connection


Excerpt:

I shifted in my broken seat, wondering how many more minutes of the hell that was Bear River High School North’s production of Cats I’d have to endure. My fingers itched for my guitar and notepad. Melodies played in my head, begging to be put down on paper, and there were a dozen other things we should have been doing to promote Ride Out so we could get the band some notice.
The music rose. Beside me, Nick sucked in a breath. I didn’t know Leah. Nick met her at a concert a few months back, and they’d been hanging out whenever they could because, Nick claimed, Leah was the One.
I hid half a laugh and shook my head. I didn’t get the whole concept of the One, but I’d help Nick get what he wanted.
Leah raised her face. When she opened her mouth, I sat up a little straighter. Her voice... Jesus, it was astounding. Clear. Strong. Powerful but sweet. I watched and listened, the audience around me fading away. Her voice swelled, and she attacked the high notes without hesitating, making goose bumps jump out of my skin. What was the top note of her range? She glided across the stage; she never struggled or stumbled. The audience waited for the crescendo, and when she reached it, holy God, it was like a...a promise kept. She blew me away. The notes faded out, and the rest of the production was a blur. I had no idea Leah could sing like that and couldn’t take my eyes off—
My best friend’s girl. Shit.
The lights came up, and everybody got to their feet, applauding like mad. Nick held up this lame poster board sign he’d made. I used that time to get my hormones under control and put Leah and her amazing voice out of my head. The rest of the cast assembled on the stage for their curtain call, and I locked eyes with one of the actors— the White Cat. She was incredibly hot—a solid body with an impressive rack. Her solo dance was the best part of the show up until Leah’s song. She looked amazing in that white cat suit. So freakin’ hot.
“Ladies and gentlemen, a moment please.” A teacher walked to the right of the stage and waved her hands. “Thank you all for attending our opening night performance! I am so proud of these kids. They made all their own costumes and designed the set themselves. And tonight, I want to share with you an amazing last-minute change-up to our program. Grizabella, played by Leah Russo, is ill and was unable to sing this evening. Her songs were actually sung by our White Cat, played by Kristen Cartwright.”
The teacher’s hand swung to my favorite cat, and my jaw dropped. That awesome voice was hers? Whoa. I stuck two fingers in my mouth and let loose with a shrill whistle while the audience roared their approval. The white cat’s eyes met mine, and I started to picture her in different clothes...maybe some black leather, studded bands on her wrists, hair long and wild down her back, strutting across a stage while I shredded the hell out of the guitar. If she could sing Broadway songs without breaking a sweat, what could she do with a hard metal rock track? I wondered—again—what her range was. Could she get low with some Halestorm or full-on mean with a Slipknot metal scream? I should put her in Ride Out right now. I grinned like a maniac because I knew that would really twist BroadwayBaby17 into a knot.
A brilliant idea struck. I pulled out my phone, snapped a photo of the white cat, and from the band’s Twitter account, posted this:
Ride_Out: This cat’s HAWT! And damn, can she sing.
It needed a hashtag. I tapped out “#CatCall.” Oh, this was awesome. My phone buzzed a minute later with a reply from a fan calling himself JJStix88.
Sweet! Get her to meow. #CatCall
I tapped out another post.
JJStix88: Make her arch that back! #CatCall
Ride_Out: Wanna hear her scream! #CatCall

Copyright © The Way It Hurts 2017 by Patty Blount


About Patty Blount:

Native New Yorker Patty Blount is the award-winning author of several critically acclaimed internet issues novels for teens as well as a few adult contemporary romances. She is inspired to write by such greats as Judy Blume, JK Rowling, and Gayle Forman. In fact, Judy Blume is the reason Patty elected to write under her real name…so she’d appear on shelves next to her idol. Patty adores writing; she’s written everything from technical manuals to song lyrics (see THE WAY IT HURTS, coming August 2017). Patty wants you to know she loves chocolate…really, really loves chocolate.

When not crushing on actors Gilles Marini or Sam Heughan, Patty can be found sitting in traffic somewhere on the Long Island Expressway, listening to audio books or talking wildly to herself about plots and characters. Prone to falling madly in love with fictional characters, Patty suffers frequent broken hearts when they all invariably prefer the heroine to her… go figure. When she’s not writing, Patty loves to watch bad sci-fi movies and live tweet the hilarity, and scour Pinterest for ideas on awesome bookcases. Patty lives on Long Island with her family in a house that, sadly, lacks bookcases.

Connect with Patty:  Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon


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{Blog Tour} Call to Engage - Tawny Weber (Review & Giveaway)

The Poseidon team are hard-bodied, fiercely competitive Navy SEALs. But when a sensitive mission goes disastrously wrong, three of the team's finest will have to trust their hearts and instincts to uncover the truth…CALL TO ENGAGE will delight fans of UNDER PRESSURE by Lori Foster and A SEAL’S PLEDGE by Cora Seton!

Rafflecopter for Call to Engage Blitz Tour Giveaway:

One (1) lucky winner a $25 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below:
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About Call to Engage:

Title: Call To Engage
Author: Tawny Weber
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: June 27, 2017
Series: Team Poseidon
Genres: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense/Military Romance
ISBN: (Digital) 9781460397886
ISBN: (Print) 9780373801961

Lieutenant Elijah Prescott should be spending his precious leave somewhere with sun, surf and scantily clad women. Instead, he's heading home with two goals in mind. Figure out exactly how his last assignment went to hell and almost killed him—and reconnect with the woman who might offer salvation.
Ava Monroe has streamlined her life, eliminating every source of pain—including a marriage touched by tragedy. One glimpse of her ex and those good intentions turn to bad-girl desires. Her strategy: get over Elijah by getting under him again, sating herself until she can finally let go. But as betrayal within the rank of the SEALs turns deadly, there's no denying that her heart and her life are on the line. Elijah is the only man who can protect both…


Add to your TBR list:  Goodreads

Available:  Amazon | Harlequin | Kobo |  B&N  | iBooks

Review:


I have become more of a Tawny Weber fan as I keep reading her books! So far her books have a great story filled with a lot of backstory and great swoon worthy relationships!!

This book follows Elijah who is recovering from a bad mission and trying to get his life back on track while figuring out what happened.   Elijah is an elite Seal whose life has been dedicated to serving his country.   This book also follows Ava who is Elijah’s ex-wife.  She is also working on getting her life back on track.  Elijah and Ava have a very sorted history that the author does an amazing job peeling back one step at a time. 

This book is part of the Seal stories from Tawny Weber, but you don’t need to read the entire series to follow along with the book.  This can be read as a standalone with no issues as the previous characters are reintroduced. 

The chemistry that the author creates with Elijah and Ava is awesome.  It is a second chance romance, but it works for these two!! I am totally swoon worthy over Elijah.  I love the bond that the author created between the two of them.  The author created a hard backstory for the characters, but it really connected me and brought the characters to life. 

The story flows very naturally for me and is easy to follow along with.  The author does go into some military terms, but very brood and it doesn’t feel overwhelming.  

The story follows Elijah and Ava while trying to figure out their relationship, but also involves what happened with Elijah in the military.  I loved that we got a romance with a mystery thrown in.  I love when an author combines to different genres. 

I would suggest this as a perfect beach read over the summer.  The story is very fast paced and easy to follow along with.  I found it difficult to put the book down.

I received a copy of this book from Barclay publicity to provide an honest review.  This does not affect my opinion of this book.


My Rating: 4/5




Excerpt:
An excerpt from CALL TO ENGAGE
Copyright © Tawny Weber 2017

Incredible.

That was the only word in his head as the aftershocks trembled through their bodies.

Incredible.

And then he came down.

Not in a nice, slow, gentle descent, either.

Nope, he crashed like a plane plummeting from the sky to ram into a mountainside.

He’d just had sex.

With Ava.

His ex-wife. The only woman he’d ever loved. The only one he’d ever wanted to love. The one who’d broken his heart into tiny little pieces and tossed them aside.

Shit.

His body still slick with sweat, the scent of Ava wrapped around him like a second skin, Elijah wondered if she realized that while extracting her promise of no regrets, he hadn’t offered the same.
After all, Elijah knew just how pointless promises could be. Especially the ones between him and Ava.

His body spent, his mind worn, he couldn’t find anything left to offer up on the altar of past regrets, though. He wrapped his arm tighter around her shoulders. Ava responded by snuggling closer, her thigh nestled between his as she shifted her chin into the indention where his shoulder met his chest. Her breath fluttered over his throat, soft and easy in sleep.

Regret?

Oh yeah, he knew he’d regret this in the morning. Hell—he glanced out the window, gauging the time from the angle of the moon—it was nearing dawn and the regret was already winding through him. Shoving aside pleasure, easing out satisfaction.

Closing his eyes against it, he drifted into sleep with her hand entwined with his, the twisted band of her ring rubbing gently between his fingers.

And he knew it for the talisman it was, the hope that lifted him from his nightmares.

If only for tonight.

Because nobody knew better than Elijah that tonight was all they had.


About Tawny Weber:

New York Times and USA TODAY Bestselling author of more than forty books, Tawny Weber loves writing about sexy heroes, most notably her popular Navy SEALs series.  Her sassy, emotional romances are filled with men dedicated to being the best—and women determined to have the best.  Tawny credits her ex-military alpha husband for inspiration in her writing, and in her life.   The recipient of numerous writing accolades, including Romantic Times Reviewers Choice and in addition to the NY Times and USA Today bestseller lists, Tawny has also hit the number one spot on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  

A homeschooling mom, Tawny enjoys scrapbooking, gardening and spending time with her family and dogs in her Northern California home.



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Tuesday, June 27, 2017

{Blog Tour} Prom Queen - Katee Robert (Review & Giveaway)

Celebrate the Release of PROM QUEEN!

A high school reunion is about to get down and dirty and a whole lot more complicated in this new erotic romance from New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Katee Robert.

Welcome to Bad Boy Homecoming! Five bestselling authors got together to see what happens when bad boy heroes (and even a bad girl or two!) roll back into a small town in Texas for their High School reunion. Sexy times, angst-filled memories, and second chances abound with this contemporary romance series.


Add PROM QUEEN to your TBR pile on Goodreads, then keep reading for an exclusive excerpt! Be sure to enter the giveaway for your chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card, a Signed Paperback Set of the entire Bad Boy Homecoming Series, or a Prom Queen themed scented candle!

Title: Prom Queen
Author: Katee Robert
Release Date: June 27, 2017
Publisher: Katee Robert
Series: Bad Boy Homecoming
Page Count: 109 pages
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Price: $3.99

Synopsis:
Jake Davis had it all in high school—a scholarship to his college of choice, a promising football career, and the gorgeous prom queen for a girlfriend. And then he lost it all when he was injured right after graduation. Ten years later, he’s mostly made his peace with that, and now runs a company that provides women with dates for special events. Imagine his surprise when he discovers that the ex who left him in the dust needs a fake boyfriend for their high school reunion…

Jessica Jackson used to be the mean girl to end all mean girls. But life didn’t turn out like she’d thought it would, and now she’s twenty-eight, single, and works as an insurance agent to A-listers instead of being the A-lister like she’d always dreamed. She can’t go back to her hometown and admit just how thoroughly she’s failed, so she lets her friends set her up with a fake date for the reunion.

The second Jessica realizes that her fake date is Jake, she tries to call the whole thing off. The problem is the chemistry between them is even hotter now than it was when they were teenagers. Against her better judgment she lets herself get drawn into Jake’s arms again—and into his bed. But time doesn’t heal all wounds—sometimes, it actually makes them worse—and if Jessica and Jake can’t learn to forgive each other, their second chance might not last the weekend.

Find out more at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

Check out the entire Bad Boy Homecoming Series



Review:

I read my first Katee Robert book recently and enjoyed it.  I couldn’t wait to read another book by her and I was not disappointed.

This book is told from two POV’s of Jessica and Jake.  Jessica was the mean girl in high school who has hit rock bottom and is trying to make up for it.  She is also decided to go to her high school reunion, but wants to bring a date.   Jake owns a company that provides fake dates for women who need them just to get through an event.  Jake receives Jessica’s request and decides he will be the date for her.  Jessica and Jake dated in high school and had a rough breakup.

I loved that we got to hear from Jessica and Jake during this book.  I think it was the perfect dynamic because we got a great look at how they were feeling and the chemistry that the two of them had.  The chemistry that the author created was amazing.  The two of them just clicked.  I also liked that we got to see flashbacks of their previous relationship to see where they came from.

I loved Jessica as a character.  She clearly had a lot of growth between high school and today.  She just wants to make up for her wrongs and try to figure out her current life.  I like that Jessica is putting herself out there and that is not easy.

I also enjoyed Jake as a main character.  He also had his life put together and was trying to just find the missing piece it felt like.  I enjoyed getting his opinion on his relationship with Jessica.

I would suggest this as a nighttime read.  Although the book is relatively short and a quick read it was an easy book to read at the end of the day to take your mind of what went on during the day.

I received a copy of this book from Barclay Publicity to provide an honest review.  This does not affect my opinion of this book.


My Rating: 4/5




Enter for your chance to win one of these fabulous prizes!
One (1)
$50 Amazon Gift Card
One (1) Signed Paperback Set of the Bad Boy Homecoming Series
One (1) Prom Queen themed Scented Candle
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Excerpt from PROM QUEEN
Copyright © 2017 Katee Robert

Taking a fortifying breath that did nothing to fortify, she scrolled through her texts to find the number that had shown up last night. The words were short and to the point.
I’ll pick you up at the airport.
Nothing there to tell what kind of man she’d ended up with, and she’d been too cowardly to text back anything other than a generic agreement. Now there was nothing left to stall with. Jessica hitched her purse higher up on her shoulder and headed through security. The big red line tiled into the floor was a point of no return in so many ways. Why did I think this was a good idea?
Her mama didn’t raise a coward, though, so she lifted her chin and marched forward. No matter who this guy was, she’d faced down worse. She’d been worse. It couldn’t be more horrifying than the Miss Texas Teen USA pageant of 2005 where that little brat Misty Brennan cut holes into her dress and she didn’t realize it until she was out on stage and had her pink polka dot bra showing to the audience and God. Jessica had powered through that and walked out with second place, and she’d power through this, too.
She joined the people from multiple flights crowded around the baggage claim, her body practically vibrating from nerves. The scent of too many people in too little space assaulted her, but she was more focused on the faces she didn’t recognize from the plane. Too many, all filtered in with the travelers—there was no way she’d be able to pick him out of the crowd. Her date had her picture, so he’d have to be the one to approach. What if he doesn’t? What if this is just karma giving me one last kick in the teeth?
Oh, for God’s sake, stop being so dramatic.
“Jessica.”
A thrill shot down her spine, quickly eaten up by a dread so strong, she wished the ground would open and swallow her whole. She shot a look at the nearest exit, but if she took off now, she’d have to admit that she fled instead of turning and facing her Number One Nightmare.
Jake Davis.
Praying she was wrong, she turned slowly to face him. Nope. That was definitely Jake Davis, ex-quarterback, ex-boyfriend, just all around ex when it came to Jessica. And he was definitely way better in real life than he’d been in the pictures she’d seen while she was creeping on him. Her heart picked up and her body sparked to life in a way it hadn’t in far too long.
Something like ten years.
She was staring. She couldn’t stop. Jessica licked her lips, her breath stalling in her lungs when his green eyes met hers. His eyes had always been one of her favorite features—a true green that brightened depending on what he was wearing, framed with thick, dark lashes that had always made her jealous when she was a teenager. Going by those eyes, Jakes would be judged downright pretty.
At least until you saw the rest of his face. His hair had darkened over the years, closer to brown than blond, and his lantern jaw was covered with… “What the hell is that on your face?”
He blinked, the only outward sign that she’d surprised him.
“Nice to see you too, Jessie.” He touched his scruff. “A lot’s changed since you left.”
Her gaze jumped to his right shoulder. There was no outward sign of the injury that had started the end of it all, but then, he was wearing a light-weight black T-shirt, so it wasn’t like it would show. Focus, Jessica. “What are you doing here? Are you picking up someone for the reunion?” There you go. Nice and casual.
“You might say that.” He kept looking at her like he could see the inside of her head. Another new trick.
She glanced around, trying to be subtle. The baggage claim had started to clear out, and there weren’t any conveniently gorgeous men standing around alone. Where was her date? Now would be the perfect time for him to sweep in and do the job she’d hired him for. “I’m here with someone.”
“I know.”
She frowned. “What are you talking about?” On second thought, escaping Jake before she met her date was probably a better choice. She didn’t want to have to deal with meeting this new guy and trying to pretend they’d been dating forever. And how was she going to explain how she’d magically lost him between getting off the plane
and the baggage claim.
Cora’s so-called perfect plan was teetering toward disaster.
“Your order from Diamond Dates.” He gave her a slow, knowing grin that she felt all the way to her toes, and offered his hand. “Jessica Jackson, I’m your date for the reunion.”



About Katee Robert

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. Her 2015 title, The Marriage Contract, was a RITA finalist, and RT Book Reviews named it 'a compulsively readable book with just the right amount of suspense and tension."  When not writing sexy contemporary and romantic suspense, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her children, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. 

Connect with Katee at: Website | Facebook | Twitter| GoodReads | Instagram

{Blog Tour} Make Me Crave - Katee Robert (Review)

Have you Pre-ordered MAKE ME CRAVE Yet? In MAKE ME CRAVE by NYT Bestselling Author, Katee Robert, Roman Bassani will do anything to ...