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Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Release Day Review! Single Dad by Noelle Adams





Single Dad (Milford College #3)
Genre: Adult Fiction (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: September 18, 2019
Publisher: Self

The last thing I want is to partner on a library exhibit with Max, a hot new art professor at my college, but it's part of my job as librarian so I don't have a choice. My attraction to him is intense and immediate, but I'm taking a break from dating so I can focus on myself. I don't need a distraction like Max.

He's a single father, and that's the only thing he can focus on now. He's never going to take a relationship with me seriously, no matter how much I want him to.

Single Dad is the third book in the Milford College series, novellas about the faculty and staff of a small liberal arts college.


Single Dad is the third book in the Millford College series by Noelle Adams. I haven't read the previous books in this series yet, but this one stands alone just fine. It does make me want to go back and read those first two books though. I loved Max and Katrina's story so much! Okay, I'll be honest.. Katrina wasn't my favorite main character. She was a bit whiny, but she was okay all the same. I enjoyed their funny moments the most. These two were cute together. Max was completely likable. He had an awesome personality, and I like the way he toyed with Katrina a bit at times... especially in the beginning. He's a character that will make your belly flip when he turns on that smolder. This is a quick and entertaining little read. It'd make a great story to read while you're travelling. It provides that perfect escape to help make the time go by faster.

The ARC of Single Dad by Noelle Adams was kindly provided to me by the author for review. The opinions are my own.

Check out my review of another book in this series!

author
Noelle handwrote her first romance novel in a spiral-bound notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She has lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she reads any book she can get her hands on and offers tribute to a very spoiled cocker spaniel.

She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances.

If you'd like to contact Noelle, please contact her at noelle.s.adams(at)gmail(dot)com. Or connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads through the link at the bottom of the page!

To learn more about Noelle Adams and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on GoodreadsFacebook, and Twitter.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Book Reviews of Always & Evermore by Jody Hedlund!





Always (The Lost Princesses #.5) by Jody Hedlund
Genre: Young Adult (Historical Fiction/Christian Fiction/Romance)
Date Published: August 13, 2019
Publisher: Northern Lights Press



A fierce elite guard. A loyal lady in waiting. They must work together to save three princesses from certain death.

On the verge of dying after giving birth to twins, the queen of Mercia pleads with Lady Felicia to save her infant daughters. With the castle overrun by King Ethelwulf’s invading army, Lady Felicia vows to do whatever she can to take the newborn princesses and their three-year old sister to safety, even though it means sacrificing everything she holds dear, possibly her own life.

Gravely wounded in battle and knowing all is lost to his enemy, the king of Mercia tasks Lance, one of his fiercest elite guards, to protect his family along with keys to an ancient treasure. As Lance makes plans to sneak the princesses out of the capital city, he doesn’t need or want Lady Felicia’s help.

With the dark enemy in pursuit, Lance and Felicia must put aside their differences to outrun King Ethelwulf and prevent him from killing the princesses. In a desperate attempt to hide the young girls, Lance and Felicia agree to a marriage of convenience, a decision that will change their lives—and hearts—forever.

Always is the prequel novella to the Lost Princesses series by Jody Hedlund. This was the perfect introduction to a new series. I loved the romance here. It was sweet and innocent. They were awkward and cute as they got to know each other. Felicia and Lance were completely precious. I loved their determination to keep these princesses safe. It came with a lifetime of danger. Most would have run away to save themselves, but these two put the princesses and the vows they made to the king and queen first. I completely enjoyed this story, and I can't wait to see what's in store for the princesses as they grow up.

The ARC of Always by Jody Hedlund were kindly provided to me by Prism Book Tours for review. The opinions are my own.


Evermore (The Lost Princesses #1) by Jody Hedlund
Genre: Young Adult (Historical Fiction/Christian Fiction/Romance)
Date Published: August 27, 2019
Publisher: Northern Lights Press



An ancient key. A secret treasure. And a princess destined to use them both to fight evil and restore peace.

Raised by a noble family, Lady Adelaide has always known she’s an orphan. Little does she realize she’s one of the lost princesses and the true heir to Mercia’s throne…until a visitor arrives at her family estate, reveals her birthright as queen, and thrusts her into a quest for the throne whether she’s ready or not.

Unable to tolerate King Ethelwulf’s cruelty and lawlessness, Christopher Langley left Mercia years earlier, training a group of rebels in neighboring Norland. When he returns home after his mother’s death, he discovers that not only is Adelaide all grown up, but she’s also the rightful queen of Mercia.

When King Ethelwulf discovers Adelaide’s location, he’ll stop at nothing to capture her and the key she holds to the ancient treasure. Christopher is just as determined to protect Adelaide so she can lead the growing rebellion. When feelings ignite between the two old friends, forces threaten to destroy their love and rip them apart forever.

Evermore is the first book in the Lost Princesses series by Jody Hedlund. This story was packed with suspense and adventure. There was always something happening. It kept me thoroughly glued to its pages. Adelaide is fierce! She's a super strong character, yet she still has her human moments, making her completely believable. I was enamored with Christopher right off the bat too. I knew he was a keeper. I was completely drawn into their lives... the good, the bad, and the ugly of it all. And yes, it even made me cry... dang it! There were many humorous moments as well though. This book has so much going for it. I highly recommend this one.

A funny little side note: Whenever I came across "Mercia" in the text, I kept hearing "Merica" in my head. Lord help me. I've been in the South too long. ;-)

The ARC of Evermore by Jody Hedlund were kindly provided to me by Prism Book Tours for review. The opinions are my own.
We’d won.

Tears stung my eyes, and I was glad for the great helm hiding them. I wasn’t prone to fits of weeping or emotion. But this victory meant we could pay our debts to the physician. We’d already used his services countless times over recent weeks. Now he refused to come again until we paid him for his previous visits. With the diminished supply of the particularly rare and exotic powder that came from embalmed mummies, we needed the physician to bring Aunt Susanna more.

I glanced to where Mitchell stood and prayed I’d be able to convince my cousin of our need to ride out tonight after we were presented with our prize. Mitchell was never one to forgo a feast when available. But with the direness of his mother’s health, maybe he would listen to reason this time.

Lord Mortimer’s squires had begun to assist him to his feet. From what I could assess, he’d been stunned but hadn’t suffered any serious injury. Even if I didn’t harbor fondness for the imposing lord, I still wished him no ill on account of our joust.

The herald blew the bugle again, quieting the crowd. Before he could pronounce me the winner, a harried and breathless man burst through the onlookers. “Sir Mitchell!” he shouted.

I swiveled toward Mitchell, and then realized the man was speaking to me. That he, like everyone else, believed I was Mitchell.

The newcomer towered above the other spectators by several handbreadths. I immediately recognized the thin stature and earnest expression. Tall John, our steward. From his red face and the perspiration ring at his hatband, I guessed he had travelled strenuously and without stopping.

“I have news!” he shouted. “Urgent news regarding your mother, the Countess of Langley.”

My heart dropped into the base of my chest, leaving a painful empty void in its place. If Tall John had ridden several hours to find us, he surely didn’t bear good tidings. I feared the worst.

“She is on her deathbed,” Tall John called, heedless of the mass of people witnessing our exchange. “And she asks that you return home with all haste.”

Check out my reviews of other books by this author!


author
Winner of the 2016 Christian Book Award for fiction and Christy Award for historical romance, best-selling author Jody Hedlund writes inspirational historical romances for both youth and adults.

Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).

When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.

To learn more about Jody Hedlund and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, InstagramPinterest, and Twitter.





Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Book Review! Helix by Mary Ting





Helix (International Sensory Assassin Network #2) by Mary Ting
Genre: Young Adult (Dystopian/Romance)
Date Published:  September 10, 2019
Publisher: Vesuvian Books

Alliances are forming. The resistance is growing. Everything is about to change.

With her memory still fragmented, Ava returns to the International Sensory Assassin Network (ISAN) to find the twin sister she never knew she had.

But as Ava hunts for information, she finds herself tangled in a web of yet more lies and conspiracy. The Helix serum may not be required to access her superpowers, and the number of male assassins—previously considered too volatile to tolerate Helix—is growing in every territory.

The more Ava uncovers, the more of a threat she becomes to ISAN. Her only salvation may be to join the rebels—if she isn’t killed first.


Helix is the second book in the International Sensory Assassin Network series by Mary Ting. We got both Ava and Rhett's perspective within this book. Like the first book, it was a lil slow to start up, but then it gets going. This was a hard one to put down, guys. Let me tell you. There was so much of everything.. danger, suspense, mystery, romance, sadness, happiness... everythingness. I loved Ava in the first book. I still love her.. maybe even more. I feel like I got to know Rhett more this time around too. The two of them together are electric. When they'd get separated for one reason or another, it was seriously hard to deal with. I felt like I was there with them in the book. We get to meet new people and go to new places this time around as well. It was pure craziness from start to finish. Good craziness. I was so frustrated, because I couldn't read it fast enough with things like work and sleep getting in the way. Also, I need that next book!

The ARC of Helix by Mary Ting was kindly provided to me by Xpresso Book Tours for review. The opinions are my own.




Have you read the first book in this series yet?

Check out my reviews of some of Mary Ting's books!

author


International Bestselling, Award-Winning, Author Mary Ting/M. Clarke resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. Why the pen name, M Clarke? She tours with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children’s chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.

Check out my previous interview with Mary Ting!

To learn more about Mary Ting and her books, visit her blog.You can also find her on GoodreadsFacebook, and Twitter.

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Monday, September 2, 2019

Release Day Review! Stuck with You by Christina Mandelski




Stuck with You (The First Kiss Hypothesis #3) by Christina Mandelski 
Genre: Young Adult (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: September 2, 2019
Publisher: Entangled Publishing

When Caleb Gray heads to the Texas coast to mentally prepare for a future he isn’t sure he wants, the last person he expects to see is Catie Dixon. Yeah, their mothers have been planning their wedding since they were born, but he and Catie are most definitely not friends. He can’t see her as anything but the annoying kid who followed him everywhere. Except, it’s really bothering him that everyone is staring at her in that bikini…

Catie got over her crush on Caleb ages ago. So why can’t she see past his ripped body or how unsettled he seems? She’s got her own problems, though. Her future has been set for years and now she’s dreaming of pulling the plug. A week at their families’ beach house is just what she needs to pull herself together, and she has no intention of letting Caleb back into her heart...which would be a whole lot easier if he’d put on a shirt.

But a forced week of togetherness full of beach parties, waterslide mishaps, bonfires, and roller coasters sparks more than an understanding. What do you do when the person standing in the way of your future is the one person you grew up hating...but now don’t?

Stuck with You is the third book in The First Kiss Hypothesis by Christina Mandelski. I haven't read the second book in this series yet, but this one stood alone just fine. Katie and Caleb were best friends as kids, but as they grew up they grew apart...  way apart. It was so much fun watching them come back together. Even though they still know pretty much everything about each other, it was fun watching them get to know each other again as young adults. They were awkward and angry, but also very adorable. They had this intensity to them that you could feel grow page by page. I enjoyed their story quite a bit and look forward to getting my hands on the book just before this one.

The ARC of Stuck with You by Christina Mandelski was kindly provided to me by the publisher for review. The opinions are my own.


Chapter One
Caleb

     After twelve hours on the road, I’m almost where I need to be.
     I roll down the windows, and the damp air of the Texas coast washes over my face. The salt from the Gulf of Mexico invades my nose, and out there in the dark, I can hear it—waves crashing, welcoming me home.
     I left Florida this morning with a cooler of sandwiches Mom packed for me, a full tank of gas, and Mo, my trusty mutt-slash-wingman, by my side. In just under two weeks, I have to be back to report for practice at Florida Central University, where I got a full scholarship and a spot on the
lacrosse team. It’s a pretty big honor.
     My parents are so excited to have four more years of cheering me on from the stands, even though it means I’m not going to their alma mater in Texas, UT Austin.
     The free money was a big part of that, too. This year they started a new branch of our family’s flooring store, which has been tough and expensive, and this will help. Everyone has to do their part. I’m on board with that.
     FCU has decent academics, too. I’m going to major in business. Dad says I can use the degree to take on more responsibility in the family company when my lacrosse
career is done.
     Everything is falling into place.
     Things couldn’t be better.
     I shift in the driver’s seat. Thinking of the future makes me tense, and Mo seems to know it. He barks then looks from me to the open window, like he’s telling me to chill, son. We’re at the beach.
     “Okay, okay,” I say to him. “I know. Happy place.”
     I dig my free hand into Mo’s fur, scratching him behind the ear where he likes it best. My life has gotten so twisted up in the last six months that sometimes I don’t even know how I got here. It’s been like an out-of-body experience that I’ve just stood back and watched happen.
     Back in December, I was near the top of my class at Lockhart High School in central Texas. I was playing club hockey. I had friends I’d known since preschool. I’d gotten automatic acceptance into UT Austin based on my class ranking. I was gonna keep playing hockey there and had even gotten offered some scholarship money. Everything was set.
     That’s when my parents made the announcement.
     After last fall’s crazy hurricane season, my parents and the Dixons—the family who co-owns our business—had an opportunity to open a branch in Florida. The timing was right, and they were going to go for it. My parents would move and open the store. I would stay and finish out the hockey season and the school year. I could live with the Dixons. But I guess even then I was feeling unsure about the future, because I told Mom and Dad that I didn’t want to stay. I wanted to go to Florida, too.
     My parents argued with me. My friends thought I was nuts. My hockey coach was pissed. It was senior year—who leaves halfway through senior year?
     I played it off as Mr. Easygoing, always game for whatever, but there was no way I was going to let my family do this without me. My father already has high blood pressure from all the time and worry he puts into the store, and my mom is pretty tightly wound, too. They needed me.
     Me quitting hockey was the big stumbling block for my father, but I promised I’d walk on to another team at my new school. Football? Baseball? I’d played them all. He was shocked when I chose lacrosse. Turns out, I am freakishly good at the sport, and my play caught the eye of a bunch of
scouts.
     That made it better for everyone. So, when I wasn’t killing it on the field, I helped my parents in the store, kept my grades up, partied a decent amount, and made some good friends.
     But by the time I walked across that stage in cap and gown a few weeks ago, nothing felt right. This plan for my life began to feel like wearing a too-small T-shirt, uncomfortable and tight and choking me. Even Mom and Dad noticed. Apparently, I was so distracted that they suggested I spend a week at the beach house before I had to be at Central. They said I could invite friends and party
it up (their words, not mine), but in the end I decided to go alone.
     Dad hugged me as I was leaving. “Go get your head clear. I know this is a tough time of life. Lots of changes, but it’s gonna be just fine.”
     Clear my head. Convince myself that there’s nothing wrong with this plan. Besides, it’s not like I have any better ideas.
     As I drive down Bolivar Peninsula toward Crystal Beach listening to some Chance the Rapper (not country, contrary to the Texas-boy stereotype), I already feel better. By the end of this trip, I’ll be back to normal. Mr. Easygoing. That’s me.
     As we enter town, I slow to a crawl. The main drag is hopping tonight—it’s the middle of July, high season in this part of the world. I pass by the Big Store, the one real place to shop here, where you can buy anything, from paint to pizza. I need groceries, but even at this time of night the
parking lot is jam packed, so I’ll come by tomorrow.
     I take the turn into Sandpiper Landing, the community where our house is located, and think back to a September over a decade ago. I was seven when most of Bolivar Peninsula was destroyed by Hurricane Ike, including our beach house. It was an old house—just a fishing shack, basically, but we came all the time. We loved that place. When the storm surge came through, all that was left was a
pile of sticks and one toilet.
     Lots of people decided to leave after that, but we (“we” being my parents and the Dixons, who co-own not only our business, but the beach house) rebuilt, stronger and better, and way nicer than it had been. So that’s where I’m headed, to CayCay’s Cove (don’t ask), our house at the end of Pelican
Lane, right on the beach.
     I drive down the narrow road slowly to avoid the summer renters who are running around in the dark—kids with sparklers left over from the Fourth of July; dogs; adults who, I’m gonna guess, are over their beverage limit. There are probably lots of cute girls here.
     Girls. I snort to myself. Those have been a whole other story this year. One girl really caught my eye in Florida, and she put me in the friend zone faster than a sheep at a mutton busting. In the end it was okay. She’s with my buddy Eli, and I can live without a girlfriend.
     “Who needs the female of the species, anyway, amiright, Mo?”
     He lets out an uncertain yawp as if to say “speak for yourself.”
     I glare at him in all his multicolored-coat glory—brown, red, black, white. Dog’s a mess. “Traitor.”
     Eventually I make it to the concrete slab under the house and park next to a car I don’t recognize. Probably one of the neighbors borrowing the space. When I get out, Mo follows, and I grab my duffel from the bed of the truck. I hear a loud, throbbing bass line that sounds like it’s close. I hope whoever is having the dance party shuts it down soon. I’m tired.
     I climb the stairs—the house is now a good twenty feet above sea level on concrete-reinforced wooden stilts to make sure we’ll beat the next storm surge—and I notice the front porch light is on. Last renters must have forgotten to switch it off.
     The top of the stairs opens onto the wide wooden deck that surrounds three sides of the house and gives a clear view of the water. There’s a half moon shining on the whitecaps at high tide, breaking again and again like they always have, like they always will. I bend down to the big potted palm in
the corner that Mom and Mrs. Dixon put there years ago. Stuck into the soil is the flusher from the original house’s surviving toilet. It’s a family tradition to “flush” it whenever we come back, for good luck, to ward off any future storms. In with the good, flush out the bad.
     Yeah, I know it’s a dumb superstition. Maybe because I play sports I still do it. I’d do anything to save this town from getting trashed again. And anyway, it can’t hurt, right?
     Just as I flush, the music gets louder, and I know it’s coming from the inside of the house. My jaw tightens. Dammit. So much for good luck. There are renters here, and I guess I’m sleeping in the truck with Mo as a pillow.
     Before I get lost, though, my dog needs some water. I can knock, find out when they’re leaving, and ask if they wouldn’t mind giving Mo something to drink. Maybe it’s one of our longtime renters who got their dates mixed up.
     I ring the doorbell, but the music is so loud now that I know they can’t hear it. I lift my fist to knock, but before I can, the door flies open. Three faces stare at me, and they all scream at the same time in a pitch so high I think they might have busted my eardrums.
     Mo barks, and instinctively I grab his collar.
     “Holy shit,” one of them says. “Caleb?”
     My ears still work, so that’s something, and even though I need another second to focus in the dark, I recognize the voice—an accent thick with attitude.
    Then my eyes adjust.
     I stagger back a little and huff out a breath. No way. “Catie?”
     I haven’t seen Catie Dixon since the Dixon/Gray family Christmas party right before my parents and I left for Florida. My memories are not super clear of that night—my friends spiked Mrs. Dixon’s cranberry 7 Up punch with vodka—but I do remember what Catie was wearing. Shorter than it needed to be and too low cut, and I remember wishing I didn’t think she was so damn pretty. Now she’s wearing a bikini top and cutoff shorts.
     “Caleb Gray, what the hell are you doing here?” she demands in that know-it-all tone that I’ve heard my whole life, and then I realize even if she looks good—and wow, she looks good—she’s still the same Catie I grew up with. Some people never change, and Catie is one of those people.
     Bossy. Nosy. Forever in my business. I was happy to leave her behind when I moved to Florida. Couldn’t get away from her fast enough.
     I have no idea why she’s here, but I know this—the whole taking-a-week-to-relax-and-clear-my-head situation? I can kiss that goodbye.
     There’s no relaxing with her around—never has been, never will be.

Check out my review of the first book in this series!

author
Christina Mandelski was born in South Florida, where her love of reading was cultivated in a house full of books. Stories like The Little House series, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Island of the Blue Dolphins and The Secret Garden, filled her imagination and fueled her dreams to be a writer. That dream came true when her first young adult novel, THE SWEETEST THING, was published in 2011, and she’s beyond thrilled about her upcoming series for Entangled Crush.

Chris lives in Houston with one handsome husband, two beautiful daughters, and two freakshow cats. She has a
fondness for the beach, her family and friends, and she still loves to read (especially curled up with a good cup of
coffee!) She also enjoys shopping, traveling and eating, especially cake. Always cake. When she’s not doing these things, you can find her holed in a cozy spot with her laptop, writing.

To learn more about Christina Mandelski and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on GoodreadsInstagram, and Twitter.