Big Girls Don’t Cry #review #romance

Synopsis
Remy has a crush on her neighbor Eadan. She decides if she loses weight, she will have a better chance at catching his eye.
When Eadan needs some interior decorating, he asks his neighbor to help with the job. Meanwhile, he decides he needs a frumpy, plain looking girl who will stay loyal and not leave him like his ex-girlfriend did.

Opinion
This story blurb from Amazon did not prepare me for the train wreck of story. And like a train wreck, I could not turn away. As painful as it was, I read it to the end.

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His skinny, hot girlfriend left him. So now he wants a plain Jane, borderline ugly girl who will not attract any attention.
Too shallow?

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Remy is trying to lose weight to catch a man. As an afterthought, there is a lot of emphasis placed on losing weight for her overall health. Mmm hmmm. All I could think was that she is changing herself to try to make herself attractive to another person.

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I do not want to get on my soapbox, but I will say that this story line annoyed me because I do not agree that a person should try to change their physical characteristics in efforts to get another person to fall in love with them.

The only kind of redeeming aspect of this story was the subplot where Remy is trying to help a teenage girl who is being bullied. I call it a redeeming aspect because I could see that happening in real life.

I read other books by Barbour and they were a lot better. Overall, this book’s premise had a lot of potential, but fell short in my opinion. I think if the characters were better developed that might have helped. Plus, I had a strong dislike for Eadan’s shallow attitude. His character needed to be rewritten.

TOW Final Word: Buy, Borrow, Pass?
BORROW. I thought about saying “pass”, but then I think about that one redeeming aspect. If you cannot borrow it, try to buy which it is on sale or part of a compilation. Definitely do not pay more than 99cents for it..

Book details
Series: N/A
Heat Level: 🔥 🔥 🔥
Print Length: 98 pages
Publisher: Sarna Publishing (June 30, 2015)
Publication Date: June 30, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

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Between You & I by Susan Cairns @suzecairns #romance

Sep1

Title: Between You & I

Author: Susan Cairns

Genre: Contemporary/NA Romance

Release Date: October 6, 2017
Cover Designer: Emma Rider @ AWT Cover Design

A force to be reckoned with . . .

Taylor Lewis dreams of finding her spot in corporate America. Taking a leap, she applies for an executive position at the company where she got her start. When passed over for an outsider, Taylor refuses to give up easily, vowing to prove the job should have been hers.

Looking for a change…

At thirty-nine years old, Reid Mariano is feeling the pressure to pack up his bachelor lifestyle and settle down. After meeting Jennifer online, and landing a job he hopes will take him to retirement, Reid gives up the Chicago bar scene and relocates to Buffalo, NY,

Impossible to ignore . . .

While Reid looks forward to building a future with Jennifer, and establishing his new career, Taylor sets out show she was the better choice. Working late nights and long hours, a smoldering attraction sparks a connection that neither of them are prepared for.

Susan Cairns was born and raised in a small town in western New York, on the shore of Lake Ontario. She currently lives with her three fur-babies: Lucy, Leela, and Bella. They run the house—she just lives with them!

Susan loves to travel and is always looking for her next adventure! She has been lucky to keep in touch with many friends who live all across the US. They’re always ready to open their homes to her whenever she feels the pull to visit a new place.

Along with writing, Susan is an avid reader and is often seen with her Kindle or a book in hand. She also has an eye for photography. All year round she has her camera in hand taking pictures of anything and everything, especially her nephews and niece, who are the light of her life.

Susan received a Bachelor’s degree in Communications/Public Relations from SUNY Empire State College. She recently finished her Master’s degree in English and hoping to become an adjunct professor in creative writing.

In addition to Between You & I, Susan has written four Contemporary Romance novels: Chasing Hope and The Reunion Series: The Reunion, The Rebound and The Reason. She also has one New Adult novel, Falling Back Together.

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Photo blogging #challenge August 2017 #summerFUN #photoblog

Aug31

The theme for August photo blog and challenge hosted by http://hoohaa.com was Summer Fun. I have had a rough couple of months with the deterioration of my grandmother’s health and her ultimate demise in July. So, for August’s picture selections, the pictures are not as artistic as I have tried in the past. It was more about celebrating life while dealing with our family’s loss.

Photo 1

Hubs decided that we needed to go on a day road trip on Saturday to take our mind off things. We went down to Duluth GA and window shopped with no particular goal in mind. We ate lunch at a Korean/Chinese restaurant. I had Korean pork BBQ. My fave.

Photo 2

Since I was in the path of totality, I saw the eclipse. My picture during total eclipse was not that great because I needed a better camera lens. In any case, it was breathtaking to witness it in person. It was like nothing I have ever experienced. Well worth all the hype and more.

Photo 3

My baby Blaze got in a fight 😦 and needed to go to the vet for his injury. Thankfully, it was not that serious. He got an antibiotic shot and did not need any other meds. I should have named him Houdini because on the trip to the vet, he got out of his carrier. I do not know how since the door was closed.

Photo 4

This is my Young Living Orb diffuser in action. On my way to work, I started diffusing lemon and peppermint essential oil because it helps calm and balance my emotions. Grief can be something serious. I am glad that I have a natural options to help me to get a handle on releasing negative emotions without it consuming me.

Photo 5

One Friday evening, I went to Montague’s (local restaurant) to hear Rachel Davis sing and Kenny Price play the guitar. This duo is also part of a band called The Bonnie Situation. If you love 90s music and you live near Upstate SC, it will be worth your while to go hear them play. I particularly love to hear Rachel perform covers “You Oughta Know” (Alanis Morrisette) and “Free Your Mind” (En Vogue). She has a set of lungs on her to hit the notes like a pro. And Kenny did a good job too.

These were just a few of the pictures that show SUMMER FUN for me.

Check out the website to see the other bloggers’ submissions and interpretations of this theme.

Bounce by Kailee Reese Samuels #darkromance

Aug28

Title: Bounce

Author: Kailee Reese Samuels

Genre: Dark Romance

Release Date: September 12, 2017

She escaped into his arms.

AMBER

I have everything I could want – the man of my dreams, his baby girl, a great career, and a beautiful home. I should be happy and having the time of my life. But I just can’t…

The past I left behind haunts me, threatening to destroy everything. I worked so hard to escape, yet the hooks are piercing into my soul, pulling me to the past and forcing me into a nightmare I can’t wake up from. And I know this time, he may not be able to save me.

His heart brought her freedom.

DALE

Every day I wake up thankful my beautiful angel is back in my life. I have it all now. But something is missing—the darkness I crave. I know I can’t exist without it. I need the tears in her ache and the fears in her sobs.

The closer she is to me, the less my grip becomes. I am losing control of her, of us, and worst of all—myself. And I cannot imagine the monster I will become when I let go… all to get her back.

The hunt is on in the love affair of Mae East & Cyclone Blonde.

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Embracing diversity. Coffee addict. Mango lover. Blueberry fetishist. Sweet peach tea crazy. Red wine devout. Whiskey deviant. Tattooed & pierced. Loves shoes. Collects rosaries. Fanatical organizer/cleaner/list-maker. Never sleeps. Hermit and recluse.

Storyteller.

KAILEE REESE SAMUELS has been spinning tales since she can remember. Her books are contemporary fiction with a no-holds-barred attitude. She adores listening to her character’s ramble and putting them into situations that push the boundaries.

Creativity is the way to change.

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Witness Protection by Holly Copella @HCopella #romance

Aug27

Title: Witness Protection

Author: Holly Copella

Genre: Romantic Thriller/Action – Adventure

Published: October 8, 2015

After witnessing an execution, a resourceful young woman attempts to disappear while being pursued by a hitman and a handsome federal agent.

Helicopter pilot, Jackie Remus, reluctantly agrees to go on a date with one of her clients, but her date is unexpectedly cut short when she witnesses a man being murdered. After narrowly escaping with her life, she is placed into protective custody. When the safe house is breached, Jackie makes a daring escape from both the hired killers and the handsome FBI agent, who wants to return her to protective custody. With a little help from her sly and crafty friend, Monroe, Jackie is convinced she can disappear until the trial. While on her journey to meet with her friend, she solicits help from a few shady but lovable characters along the way. Although she manages to stay one-step ahead of the hired killers, the federal agent remains in hot pursuit. Will Jackie reach Monroe before she’s captured by the FBI and returned to protective custody? Or will the hired killers silence her first?

Witness Protection is a romantic thriller with some scenes of violence, mild gore, moderate foul language, and intense sexual situations. Holly Copella books do not contain graphic sex scenes.

Holly Copella has been writing since the age of twelve when her frustration at a book’s poor plot drove her to author her own story. Over the last decade, she’s written a number of screenplays, some of which she’s now adapting into novels. Her fascination with zombies and other darker material lends an edge to her writing, which tends to lean toward horror. As a fan of Agatha Christie, she appreciates the craft of a good plot and the importance of creating significant characters.

Hailing from Pennsylvania, Copella lives in the Endless Mountains on a farm with her rescue horses and other animals. In addition to writing and reading fiction, she enjoys riding horses and traveling to Las Vegas and Disney World.