Tag Archive | contemporary fiction

Take Me With You #bookclubpick #amreading

Feb25

Take Me With You

 

 

Synopsis from Amazon

August Shroeder, a burned-out teacher, has been sober since his nineteen-year-old son died. Every year he’s spent the summer on the road, but making it to Yellowstone this year means everything. The plan had been to travel there with his son, but now August is making the trip with Philip’s ashes instead. An unexpected twist of fate lands August with two extra passengers for his journey, two half-orphans with nowhere else to go.

What none of them could have known was how transformative both the trip—and the bonds that develop between them—would prove, driving each to create a new destiny together.

TOW Opinion
It is serendipity that August was on his way to vacation for the summer and his RV needed repairing in a shop where the mechanic needed to send his two sons away for the summer while he went to jail.
I can understand that August did not want to take on the responsibility of these two children much in the same way that many people do not want to be Foster parents. But when presented with the challenge, he accepted and treated them like he would treat his own son. In some respects, I think he might have even treated them better than he treated his son because he was able to learn from his mistakes and take that into consideration.

This story deal with several complex themes, including alcoholism, grief because of loss of a child, and emotional issues. For example, it is not just about the emotional journey of August, it is also about two little boys that are able to find a father figure when theirs was not a worthy role model.

This story might be a very emotional one for some because the interaction between the main characters is tender and sweet at times.

TOW Final Word: Buy, Borrow, Pass?

Buy. I love this story in a very sentimental way. It just touched me in a way that I don’t usually get that emotional about fictional events.

Book details

Series: No
Heat Level: not a romance

Print Length: 363 pages

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Geek Love #gamerromance #review

Aug20

Geek love

Synopsis
Joel and Sam are gamers attending a science fiction/gamer convention. Once Sam reveals to Joel that she is a woman, it seems that they make the perfect couple. However, another woman will do whatever it takes to claim Joel as her own.

Opinion
The story was okay. Sweet even.

My biggest complaint: explaining the geek sci-fi terms. It was as if the author wanted to write a book for geeks and then decided everyone should be able to understand the jargon.

I know and watched enough Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, and Firefly to get all the references without the explanation. I am not even a hard-core geek. Doctor Who is my heart, but I digress. I could understand if she was making obscure references but this is like Sci-Fi 101.

My other reason for discontent is that the villain should have went to jail. Really! The stunt that the villain pulled should not have been brushed aside as if nothing had happened.

Image result for she cray meme

I think this story could have been a lot stronger if the author had developed the characters a little more. This is a novella, so there was not time to flush the character profiles. If possibly the author turns this into a full-length novel, I think she would have more time to make the story stronger and better.

Side note: For once, could an author have a story with a woman gamer heroine who everyone KNOWS is a woman at the beginning? I feel like the female gamer with male sounding name is so overdone these days. It is uninspired. Unoriginal. Boring.

TOW Final Word: Buy, Borrow, Pass?
BORROW. It is okay if you have some time to kill. But don’t expect too much from this book.

Book details
Book Length: 104 pages
Series: No but there is a follow up book Code Monkey
Heat Level: 🔥 🔥

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Accidental Heiress by Ashley Lynn #RomanticComedy #giveaway @AuthorAshleyLyn

Apr26
Title: Accidental Heiress
Series: Welcome to Spartan
Author: Ashley Lyn
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: April 26, 2017
Amy

Change is necessary, even more so when you’re sitting in the woods, alone, in what you suspect is a pile of bear poop. I grew up in these woods with my parents. We rarely, if ever, went into town or saw anyone. My parents—God rest their souls—are dead and gone, and I’m throwing in the towel and moving to town. I just need to dodge the persistent Parker long enough to get my life in order.

Time to move on and move up.

Parker

I’ve been lost and stumbling around these woods for days. Then, I find out that my little woodland sprite, Miss Amy Rain, has moved into town. I’m tired of chasing after the elusive Amy. She’s the one for me, and now, I just have to get her to see me as more than just the sheriff of our little town.

Time to put a ring on it.

Secrets burned and buried come to light. With danger on the horizon, and a fortune in old family money, Parker and Amy will need to lean on each other to get through it. Of course, it wouldn’t be a trip to Spartan without some shenanigans. So, hang on to your knickers and cover your nipples.

I’m dancing in Parker’s strong arms. I’m a tad bit tipsy, but have taken Cleo’s advice to heart and paced myself, keeping the water coming between drinks. The food was so good, I couldn’t help the moans of pleasure as the complex, orgasmic flavors burst over my tongue.
When the song ends, I grab Parker’s hand and drag him outside. I need a minute to cool off. Once outside, I take big gulps of air. Grabbing hold of the bottom of my dress, I pull it up and down, trying to get a breeze up my dress because I’m roasting.
Parker’s leaning against the building when I turn to look at him, his sexy mouth kicked up into an amused grin.
“Having fun, pretty girl?”
“I have never in my life had this much fun.”
“I’m glad. Seeing you smile makes me hard.”
“I’m fairly certain Wally Cleaver wouldn’t talk so crass, Parker.”
Feeling way braver than I truly am, with the vodka flowing through my veins, I slide up to him and snuggle close. His hand clings to my lower back and his eyes are laser focused as he studies my face. His hands slide down, cupping both butt cheeks.
“You’re playing with fire, my little Sprite.”
“Maybe I want to be burned.”
His large hands reach up to cup my jaw. My next breath is stolen as his lips land on mine. It’s a gentle kiss that tells me exactly how he feels about me, and it feels much deeper than I expected.

The blip blip of a police car has me jumping about a hundred feet. “You’re a dick, Peterson.”
“Just making sure I don’t have to write an indecent exposure ticket, P-Man.”
Headlights pull my gaze to the left and I see a fancy car pull up and park, but I’m pulled inside before I can see who gets out. Benny and The Jets are on, and Paul and Lucille are dancing downright nasty. The geriatric hip grind is going down on the dance floor, and the whole place is in an uproar.
We get to the bar and Parker orders another round for us. When Margo sets the drinks down, her whole body goes still. Turning around, I see Dane, Ali’s dad, and holy mackerel, the man is sexy—a total silver fox.
Parker holds out his hand and Dane pulls him in for a bro hug. “What’s up, Dane.”
“Heard there was a party going on, so I decided to come on down.” He turns to me and gives me a hug. “Happy twenty first birthday, and congrats on the license, Amy.”
I crack up laughing and give Parker a kiss before heading back out to the dance floor. With Sweet Emotions blaring through the speakers, I sidle up to Ali and dance to my heart’s content.

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Ashley Lyn lives in Colorado with her amazing hubby that she met on match.com. She has two beautiful daughters, a crazy Boxer named Bailey, a Fat Cat named Mojo, and a sweet as apple pie calico cat named Katy.

She is a passionate reader who loves to read any and all genres. A good book, a cozy blanket and piping hot cup of coffee is her idea of a good time.

She loves to write quirky, funny, sexy, and eccentric characters who have zero problems flying their crazy flags.
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-Letter D- Seb by Cheryl Douglas #romance #review @aprilAtoZ #atozchallenge

Apr5

D is for Douglas

Seb (Steele Brothers #3)

3heart

Synopsis
Seb restores old cars and has a reality show.
Skylar asked Seb to restore her uncle’s car because (1) he is a fan of the show and (2) he is seriously ill. She does not have the money to pay for the restoration but she offers to work for him to pay off the debt.

Opinion
The story moves along well but Skylar makes some unwise decisions that negatively affect the relationship. As always, I try to give the girl the benefit of the doubt, but in this case I think Skylar made an idiotic move. She knows Seb is a hottie with a great personality, but she would make poor decisions to mess that up.

brain
I think when there is instalove (as in the case in this story), neither party should be disappointed when there is a lack of trust.
They went from strangers to love in 0.2 seconds even though he is commitment shy. Now her feelings are hurt because he does not trust her.
It’s her OWN fault!

Image result for suck it up buttercup meme
I understand how it happened, because I have a friend who did something very similar. However, that does not excuse the fact that Skylar should have realized that withholding information could lead to loss of trust. I think that Seb had a good basis for falling in love with Skylar, but I understand how he had been hurt before would affect his view of her actions.

TOW Final Word: Buy, Borrow, Pass?
BUY. And I say that even though I know you are probably going to be rolling your eyes when you get to the bad decision making on Skylar’s part. Plus, there were a couple of surprises that will make you wonder where the story is going. This book is part of a series and I am ready to read more about the Steele brothers. They all seem very yummy!

Book details
Series: Steele Brothers
Heat Level: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥
Print Length: 237 pages
Publication Date: November 10, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

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Spotlight Tour: Losing Grace by Allie Little @_AllieLittle #romance #amreading #giveaway

Mar2
Title – Losing Grace: A Falling Away Stand-Alone Novel
Author: Allie Little
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 12, 2017
Grace is on the run. With her marriage in tatters and a possessive ex-husband tracking her every move, Grace needs all the help she can muster to rebuild her shattered life. With Grandma Bess as her only family, Grace allows restaurant boss Riley to whisk her away to the picturesque town of Shoal Bay on Australia’s east coast. Secluded in the beauty of the bay, Grace fights their inevitable attraction, hoping that days full of sunshine and nights full of stars will be enough to heal her heart. 

 


Riley is looking for love. Successful and single, Riley is tired of being his corrupt father’s lackey in the family-run business. Having branched out on his own with a string of lavish beachside restaurants, Riley embarks on a mission to leave the pressure of family expectation firmly behind him. Or so he thought…

From the white sands of Manly to the glistening shores of Shoal Bay, Riley is determined to fix Grace’s predicament. But Grace is on a collision course with her past – one that could easily end in heartbreak.

A Falling Away spinoff novel.

 

“What I can say is how much I absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED it, and devoured it in one sitting.” – The Power of Three Readers

“This is the first time I have read this authors work, and goodness, I am certainly a new fan!” – Wendy’s Book Blog

“There was also some shocking moments that really surprised me.” – Amazon Reviewer


Allie is a Sydney-based writer who believes in telling stories that resonate with the heart. Allie is the author of Falling Away, a young adult contemporary romance, and now Losing Grace, a standalone spinoff in the Falling Away series. Allie is also the author of Cloud Quest, a fantasy quest adventure story for middle-grade readers. 

 


Allie found a love for writing at the age of seven, and years later as a university student completed her first novel. She filled journals with short stories and poems, using writing as an emotional outlet for the experiences she encountered on a day-to day basis. 

Born and raised in Sydney, Allie spent her summer holidays on the beach in Port Stephens, an idyllic marine area on the east coast of New South Wales. Now, juggling motherhood, part-time work as a hospital social worker and mostly nocturnal writing habits, Allie still spends her holidays on the white sandy beaches of Port Stephens. Allie believes the ocean is essential for her soul and her love for the sea is featured in her work, where coastal scenes and settings are integral to the stories. She also has a penchant for drinking way too many Chai lattes and has an unfortunate chocolate addiction. Dark, of course.

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