2020 Reading Challenges

Information on challenge

2020 New Release Challenge

I am committing to New Release Pro, which is to read a minimum of 31-60 New Releases!  I think it will help me to stay accountable for reading all of the eArcs that I request, as well as all of the new books I purchase.

Information on challenge 

2020 Reading Assignment Challenge

The spring semester is January 1st to May 9th, and these are the classes that I have signed up for:

Professor AuthorLuv Beginner Class (Credits: 1)

I am committing to reading 1 book a month for 4 months by Siobhan Davis, because she is an author I discovered last year and I enjoyed reading her stories.

Professor Genre Beginner Class (Credits: 1)

I am committing to reading 1 book a month for four months in the New Adult genre.

Information  on  challenge

Romanceopoly
2020

This is a challenge I'm contemplating.  It sounds like so much fun, and helps readers to read a variety, but it's a big commitment.     Basically, you have your choice between two different Romanceopoly Boards.  You can do one or both boards.  You can either roll the dice to see what type of book you're going to read next or go from square to square.  The objective is to complete the whole board, which has a variety of genres, tropes, and themes, and then you choose a book that fits what you landed on.  The hosts have created multiple graphics, organizers, lists with recommendations, and even have a youtube video explaining the challenge.

2020 Goodreads Challenge

I am committing to reading 100 books this year!

Top 10 of 2019: Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2020

 

 

 

 

*Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews

*Rage and Ruin by Jennifer L. Armentrout

*Credence by Penelope Douglas

*You and Me by Miranda Keneally

*Ruthless Knight by A. Jade

*A Favor for A Favor by Helena Hunting

*Heart & Seoul by Jen Frederick

*The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

*Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

*Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth

Stacking the Shelves & Sunday Post (53)

Hosted by:  Tynga's Reviews

Hosted by:  Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

I've been busy Christmas shopping, but have been doing most of it online because I've had the flu. Next week is going to be hectic with the holidays right around the corner.  We want to take my daughter to see Frozen 2, and to visit Santa's Village. Currently, I'm reading Throw Like a Girl and really enjoying it.

This Week on the Blog:

*Almost Just Friends (Wildstone #4) by Jill Shalvis (WOW)
*Best Man by Katy Evans (Blog Tour & Book Review) 

Purchased:

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For Review:

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Thanks to Little Brown Books for Young Readers and FFBC Blog Tours

Midwinter's Eve Giveaway Hop

Welcome to A Bookish Escape's stop of the Midwinter's Eve Giveaway Hop!  We are giving away a $10 Amazon Gift card!  Good Luck and have fun hopping!

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Blog Tour: Best Man by Katy Evans

Best Man 
by Katy Evans

Release Date: December 10, 2019

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Source:
eArc from Social Butterfly PR in exchange for a honest review

Book Synopsis:

Best Man, a brand new contemporary romance from New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, Katy Evans, is LIVE!  


When the wedding of your dreams is just around the corner, everything needs to go as planned. Only problem is, the groom didn’t get the memo. 

Aaron forgot the rings, and Lia is determined to make the long drive home to get them in time for their “I do’s.” 

But there’s a catch. There always is with Aaron, isn’t there? 

Aaron is too hungover to come, and sends a replacement. 

The best man. 

Miles Foster. The cocky, arrogant, sexy best man…and the last person Lia wants to be trapped in a car with for hours. 

But Aaron insists, and Lia wonders if there’s another reason Aaron wants Miles tagging along—aside from sticking her with a hot, surly babysitter. 

Yet how bad can it be? It’ll be over before she knows it, and she’ll never see him again. Just like in college. 

But when secrets are revealed, and Lia’s whole world is turned upside down, she realizes she’s been living a lie—and so has her groom. 

Miles is supposed to be the best man at her wedding. 

But what if he is simply the best man she has ever known? The best man for her? 

 My Thoughts:

Katy Evans is one of my favorite authors, so when I got the opportunity to read Best Man, I was like a kid on Christmas opening a gift that I was thrilled to receive!  Ms. Evans delivered a story that I did not want to put down.  In fact, I read this story in one sitting!

Lia is getting ready for her dream wedding.  She has been with Aaron for five years, but when he forgets the wedding rings, she goes back with best man, Miles, in order to retrieve them.  Lia and Miles have a complicated past, as do Lia and Aaron.  On Lia and Miles' trip, secrets are revealed, and realizations occur.  One thing is for certain, nothing will be the same after their road trip.

Best Man was extremely entertaining, and I was completely invested in the story.  I wanted to see how everything would play out, and whom Lia would end up with. Initially I wasn't fond of Lia.  I wanted her to grow a backbone, because she let Aaron walk all over her.  She came off as a little immature in her actions, and I didn't understand her extreme dislike for Miles.  While Miles could come off a little cold and judgmental, I could see why he acted the way he did.  

As more of their backstory came to light, I was able to understand the dynamic between them, and enjoyed seeing the transformation in their relationship.  As things began to warm up, I was excited for the chemistry, warmth, and friendliness between Lia and Miles.

We got the dual perspectives of Lia and Miles, as well as the past and present that lead up to the day before the wedding.  I loved the ending.  It was super sweet, and everything that I hoped it would be.  I was left very satisfied, and it couldn't have been more perfect.  If you're looking for a super fast read, full of angst, entertainment, and the perfect romantic ending, check out Best Man!

 Book Teaser:

 Book Excerpt:

The dress is a strapless Carolina Herrera, with layers and layers of whisper-thin organza. It blows my budget and the “less is more” mantra out of the water, but like Eva said the day we bought it in downtown Denver, when you know, you know. The locale is the sumptuous Midnight Lodge, nestled in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, every tiny detail of the place costing my father more than an entire year of his salary. The twenty-three members of the bridal party are assembled. It’s the scene of every little girl’s fairytale fantasy. 

My fantasy. 

At least, the one I’d been harboring up until today, when everything changed. 

Eva smiles at me. “Ready to make your dreams come true?” 

I stare at myself in the mirror. I look like Cinderella, if the wicked stepmother had just materialized at the castle on Cinderella’s wedding day and gunned down Prince Charming in cold blood. I’m also about three minutes away from losing the mimosa I’d polished off earlier that morning at breakneck speed. I go to chew on my nails but then I remember Eva painted them, and the last thing I want is for him to see the chips. 

He notices things like that. He’s an observer. 

And I want to be perfect for him. 

Him. 

The wrong him. 

Oh, god. 

I go to chew on my lip, but I can’t do that because they’ve been lacquered with bubble-gum pink gloss, and he’d probably notice if I got it on my teeth, too. All my normal ways of freaking out are off limits. 

This is the day of my dreams, the day I’ve planned to the letter, just so I could avoid any potential calamities that might make me freak out. 

But I am freaking out. Oh, lordy, am I ever. 

I’ve been waiting my whole life for this day. 

This perfect day, where the sun is shining, the snow is melting, birds are singing, and the sky is the deepest blue I’ve ever seen. 

But there’s a problem. 

A problem in the form of a pretentious, bearded, six-foot-three wall of hot man flesh who stalks around hating the world and thinking he’s better than everyone in it. 

My fiancé’s best friend. The best man, Miles Foster. 

This is all his fault. 

“You okay?” Eva asks.

“I am,” I insist, pushing the infernal veil out of my face for the thousandth time. “This dress is itchy as hell.”

I stand and pluck the dress up under my armpits, hoisting it over my boobs. I try to take a step but…too much fabric, in all directions. It’s a wonder I don’t drown in this sea. In this sea, or in this mess I’ve created for myself. I sit back down on the vanity stool and pout. “I’m stuck.” 

In more ways than one. 

She gathers handfuls of too much organza and helps me up, depositing the pile of fabric safely in my wake. I shuffle to the full-length mirror and glance at myself. I don’t look like a bride, or even a fairytale princess. I look like a prisoner who just got her death sentence.

 “It’s too loose,” I whine. I never had much of a rack, and now it’s super obvious. Why did I decide to go strapless again? “I think I must’ve lost some boobage during my diet. What if the top of my dress falls down while I’m walking up the aisle?” Eva smirks.

“I’m sure Aaron’ll love the show.” 

The thought makes the mimosa turn in my stomach. I used to live for what Aaron thought. Whenever I had a choice to make on something, be it a new movie coming out, or a sweater at the mall, or a new hair style, I’d think, Would Aaron like this? But I realize, as she says his name, that it doesn’t matter to me in the slightest what Aaron thinks. The only opinion I care about now is that of the man who will be standing precisely two feet to my husband-to-be’s left. 

I am such an idiot. 

In less than fifteen minutes, I will be marching down the stone steps outside the Midnight Lodge to a picturesque gazebo at the foot of the hills, on the arm of my father, who has socked his entire life’s savings into making this day picture perfect for his only daughter. I will take the hand of the man I’ve been attached at the hip to for over five years, ever since I met him in a dank frat cellar when I was a wide-eyed little college freshman. I will join with this man—this man I’ve spent all of my adult life with—in holy matrimony, ’til death us do part.

I will become Mrs. Aaron Eberhart. 

But I know I’ll be looking past my husband-to-be to the man who, up until twelve hours ago, I’d thought I hated. Miles Foster. 

And I will be wondering What if… 

I wish choosing a husband was as simple as choosing a dress. 

When you know, you know. 

I did know, or I thought I did. Up until twelve hours ago, I thought Aaron Eberhart was my true soul mate, the one I’d happily spend the rest of my life with. That’s when things took an unexpected turn.

Right now? I don’t even know my own name. 

And I have a feeling I might be making a huge mistake. 

 Purchase At:
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Amazon | Audible | iBooks | Nook | Kobo

 About the Author:

Katy Evans is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Her debut REAL shot to the top of the bestselling lists in 2013 and since then 9 of her titles have been New York Times bestsellers. Her books have been translated into nearly a dozen languages across the world.

Amazon Author | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter 

Email | Instagram | Bookbub

 Blog Tour Hosted By:

https://www.socialbutterflypr.net

Waiting on Wednesday (111)

https://www.wishfulendings.com

Almost Just Friends

Wildstone #4

By: Jill Shalvis

Release Date: January 21, 2020

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

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Book Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis returns to Wildstone with the touching story of finding your place in the world—and the people who make it home. 

Piper Manning’s about as tough as they come, she’s had to be. She raised her siblings and they’ve thankfully flown the coop. All she has to do is finish fixing up the lake house her grandparents left her, sell it, and then she’s free. When a massive storm hits, she runs into a tall, dark and brooding stranger, Camden Reid. There’s a spark there, one that shocks her. Surprising her further, her sister and brother return, each of them holding their own secrets. The smart move would be for Piper to ignore them all but Cam unleashes emotions deep inside of her that she can’t deny, making her yearn for something she doesn’t understand. And her siblings…well, they need each other. Only when the secrets come out, it changes everything Piper thinks she knows about her family, herself…and Cam. Can she find a way to outrun the demons? The answer is closer than she thinks—just as the new life she craves may have already begun.

Why I'm Eagerly Waiting:

I'm a fan of Jill Shalvis' books.  I love the way she gives us sweet romance, and a sense of family and/or community in her stories.  She is the queen of second chance romance, and I'm looking forward to this upcoming story, because it sounds like a cute read, with some mystery, and a lot of emotion. 

What Are You Waiting On?

Stacking the Shelves & Sunday Post (52)

Hosted by:  Tynga's Reviews

Hosted by:  Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

I've been reading a lot for fun, and as you can see I've bought a lot of books that I've had on my TBR.  I just finished Echoes Between Us by Katie McGarry, and I think I went through half a box of tissue.  I loved that book so much and highly recommend it.  I'm looking forward to Christmas and have been doing a ton of online shopping.  I haven't posted a lot on the blog recently, but plan on posting more after the holiday :)

This Week on the Blog:

*Ruthless Knight (Royal Hearts Academy #2) by Ashley Jade (WOW)
*Four Days of You and Me by Miranda Keneally (WOW)

Purchased:

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For Review:

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Thanks to Social Butterfly PR and Katy Evans

Waiting on Wednesday (110)

https://www.wishfulendings.com

Four Days of You and Me

By: Miranda Keneally

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: May 5, 2020

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Book Synopsis:

A new swoon-worthy romance following a couple's love story on the same date over four years. 

Every May 7, the students at Coffee County High School take a class trip. And every year, Lulu’s relationship with Alex Rouvelis gets a little more complicated. Freshman year, they went from sworn enemies to more than friends after a close encounter in an escape room. It’s been hard for Lulu to quit Alex ever since. 

Through breakups, make ups, and dating other people, each year’s class trip brings the pair back together and forces them to confront their undeniable connection. From the science museum to an amusement park, from New York City to London, Lulu learns one thing is for sure: love is the biggest trip of all.

Why I'm Eagerly Waiting:

Miranda Keneally is one of my top favorite Y.A. contemporary romance authors.  I have loved every single one of her books, and if I see her name on a book, it's an auto-buy for me!

What Are You Waiting On?

Waiting on Wednesday (109)

https://www.wishfulendings.com

Ruthless Knight

Royal Hearts Academy #2

By: A. Jade

Release Date: January 21, 2020

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Book Synopsis:

WARNING: Royal Hearts Academy is a New Adult/High School series of standalones filled with drama, a touch of angst, and boys who are bad to the bone. And when I say bad, I mean they are aholes with a capital A. If you're looking for a safe, sweet romance, this series is NOT for you. At all! Please don't say you weren't warned. 

Welcome to their kingdom... 

This is Cole's book. 

More details coming soon. 

WARNING: Royal Hearts Academy is New Adult/High School series of standalones filled with drama, a touch of angst, and boys who are bad to the bone. 

This series is recommended for mature readers due to graphic language and sexual content.

Why I'm Eagerly Waiting:

I read the first book in the series, Cruel Prince back in August and really enjoyed it!  If you enjoy dark bully romance, this is a series I would check out.  

I've been waiting for Cole and Sawyer's story for awhile now.  They were opposites, and I enjoy romances were the characters are different from one another.  Cole is the popular character with an image to live up to.  Sawyer was an outcast.  Initially she was very unsure of herself, but she grew stronger and went toe to toe with Cole in book one, and it was fun to see.  I'm so excited for their story!!!

What Are You Waiting On?