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?

Stacking the Shelves & Sunday Post (51)

Hosted by:  Tynga's Reviews

Hosted by:  Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Over the last two weeks, I completed the Ho-Ho-Ho Readathon hosted by Kim @Caffeinated Book Reviews, and had such a great time reading, playing the games, and doing the challenges; especially the Instagram challenge.  I won the $10 Amazon Giftcard in the Instagram challenge and have been having fun searching for books I want to buy with my card :)

I'm also participating in the Gratitude Giveaway Hop and giving away a $10 Amazon gift card to one lucky winner!  So if you haven't already, please enter :)  

It's been cold, windy and rainy were I live and I have been enjoying getting warm and cozy with my hot coffee and kindle in hand.  I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving break for my daughter and a partial break for my husband next week. 

Last Two Weeks on the Blog:

*Sneak Peak: In The Unlikely Event by L.J. Shen
*In the Unlikely Event by L.J. Shen (WOW)
*Gratitude Giveaway Hop
*Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren (Book Review)
*Ho-Ho-Ho Readathon: The Magical Christmas Cat & 10 Blind Dates (Book Reviews)
*Undercover Bromance (Bromance Book Club #2) by Lyssa Kay Adams (WOW)
*In the Unlikely Even by L.J. Shen (Blog Tour & Book Review)

Purchased:

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Thanks to Social Butterfly PR & Berkley Romance 

Blog Tour: In the Unlikely Event by L. J. Shen

In the Unlikely Event

By: 
L.J. Shen

Published:
November 19, 2019

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

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Book Synopsis:

"Romance Masterpiece" -Kylie Scott, New York Times bestselling author

From USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author L.J. Shen comes a new, contemporary romance with heart-wrenching twists and laugh-out-loud moments.  In The Unlikely Event is available now!

𝑆𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑚𝑒𝑒𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑, 𝑠𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑎 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠. 

A one-night stand born from vengeance in a foreign land. 
An explosive chemistry neither of us could deny. 
We signed a contract on the back of a Boar’s Head Pub napkin that said if we ever met again, we would drop everything and be together. 
Eight years and thousands of miles later, he’s here. 
In New York. 
And he’s America’s music obsession. 
The intangible Irish poet who brings record executives to their knees. 
The blizzard in my perfect, unshaken snow globe.
Last time we spoke, he was a beggar with no intention of becoming a king. 
But a king he became, and now I’m his servant. 
I’m not the same broken princess Malachy Doherty put back together with his callused hands. 
I have a career I love. 
A boyfriend I adore. 
An apartment, a roommate, a life. 
I changed. He changed, too. 
But Mal kept the napkin. 
Question is, will I keep my word?

My Thoughts:

You know how when you read a book, and it immediately captures your attention, you just know it is going to be a great story?  Well, that was my experience with In the Unlikely Event.  I was able to completely lose myself in these characters, and their raw, emotional, passionate, and captivating story.

When Rory's father dies, she travels to Ireland in order to learn more about the man she never knew.  While there, she meets, Mal.  These two experience a connection and passion that they had never experienced before.  Mal wants Rory to stay in Ireland, but she has college, friends, and a life in the United States, and Mal's home is in Ireland.  So they make each other a promise, that if fate ever leads them back in to each other's lives, they will drop everything and everyone to be together.  Eight years later, they will be put in each other's paths, and their lives will be turned upside down...

In the Unlikely Event was a love story that held me captive.  Rory and Mal made me believe in love at first sight.  L.J. Shen took me on a journey where she painted a picture of love, lust, longing, and an all consuming passion that could never be forgotten.  This story kept me engaged, and there was never a dull moment.  

It was told in the dual points of view of Rory and Mal, as well as giving us secondary characters thoughts sprinkled throughout.  The plot dealt with secrets, lies, deceit, manipulation, miscommunication, and the purposeful withholding of pertinent information.  It was a story full of twists, and went back and forth between the past and the present.

Rory was a strong character.  She was confident, strong, sassy, and full of life.  I loved her.  Mal was sexy, had a wickedly fun sense of humor, and spoke his mind without a filter.  He had a zest for life, and cared more about his passion for music and truly living, than money and materialism.  Together these two were made for each other, and brought each other to life.  I loved them as individuals, and they made a dynamic pair!

In the Unlikely Event is a story that blew me away!  If you enjoy sizzling hot second chance romance with lots of ups and downs, twists, and surprises, you should check out this story!  

Book Excerpt:

When I finally come face to face with the street artist standing on the side of the pavement, his guitar case open and full of rolled-up notes and change, I understand why his grandfather told me I’d recognize him with the self-assurance of an avid believer. 

I’ve never seen someone like him before. 

He is beautiful, true, but that’s not what stands out to me. He is radiant. 

It’s like his presence has a presence. He sucks the air out of everything in his vicinity, making it impossible not to look at him. Malachy is tailor-made for a huge, colossal heartbreak. Everything about him—his tattered jeans, filthy boots, white shirt, and leather jacket that was broken in decades ago—screams trouble. He looks like a seventies heartthrob. An icon. A Terry Richardson muse. Bruce Springsteen pre-fame. 

His voice is like honey and warm spices. It lulls me into a place in my mind I’ve never been before, even though it’s far from beautiful. It is gruff, throaty, and smoky. When someone bumps my shoulder to get closer to him, I snap out of my reverie and realize what I’m listening to. 

“One” by U2. 

The coincidence is strange. I try to tell myself it’s nothing. This is Ireland. U2 is a national treasure. 

His eyes are squeezed shut as he sings. It’s like no one exists other than him and his guitar. Something warm rushes through my skin, like a heat wave, and I shudder in delight. 

Warmth. 

I always thought there was something melancholy about street performers—the way people walk past them, ignoring their music, their art, their passion. But this guy, he’s the one doing the ignoring. The tables have turned. He’s got the crowd eating from the palm of his hand. Every woman here is under a thick, sweet spell. He’s got that Harry Styles quality that makes girls want to bed him and older women want to adopt him. The men are a cross between impatient, annoyed, and jealous. You can see it in the way they tap their feet, check their watches, nudge their wives and girlfriends to move it. 

The song ends, and Malachy Doherty cracks his eyes open and stares directly at me, like he knew I’d be here. Like he watched me watching him through closed eyes. Disoriented—and for some reason wanting to do something, anything—I throw a bill into his guitar case and look away, realizing to my horror that I threw the fifty euros his grandpa gave me. Everyone around me murmurs and whistles. They think it was intentional. I can feel my face flaming red. I bet he thinks I want to sleep with him. 

Do I? Probably. But should he know that? Hell no.

Purchase At:
Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon | Amazon Worldwide | Amazon Paperback

In the Unlikely Event is now available in audio!  Narrated by: Shane East, Muffy Newton and Savannah Peachwood

Amazon Audible | Amazon Audible Worldwide

About the Author:

L.J. Shen is a USA Today, Washington Post and Amazon #1 best-selling author of contemporary, New Adult and YA romance. Her books have been sold to nineteen different countries. 

She lives in California with her husband, son, cat and eccentric fashion choices, and enjoys good wine, bad reality TV shows and catching sun rays with her lazy cat.

Connect with L.J. Shen

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter 

Pinterest | Instagram | Mailing List

Tour Hosted By:

https://www.socialbutterflypr.net

Waiting on Wednesday (108)

https://www.wishfulendings.com

Undercover Bromance

Bromance Book Club #2

By: Lyssa Kay Adams

Release Date: March 10, 2020

Publisher: Berkley

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Book Synopsis:

Braden Mack thinks reading romance novels makes him an expert in love, but he’ll soon discover that real life is better than fiction. 

Liv Papandreas has a dream job as a sous chef at Nashville’s hottest restaurant. Too bad the celebrity chef owner is less than charming behind kitchen doors. After she catches him harassing a young hostess, she confronts him and gets fired. Liv vows revenge, but she’ll need assistance to take on the powerful chef. 

Unfortunately, that means turning to Braden Mack. When Liv’s blackballed from the restaurant scene, the charismatic nightclub entrepreneur offers to help expose her ex-boss, but she is suspicious of his motives. He’ll need to call in reinforcements: the Bromance Book Club. 

Inspired by the romantic suspense novel they’re reading, the book club assist Liv in setting up a sting operation to take down the chef. But they’re just as eager to help Mack figure out the way to Liv’s heart… even while she’s determined to squelch the sparks between them before she gets burned.

Why I'm Eagerly Waiting:

I really liked the unique premise of the first book in this series, The Bromance Book Club.  I enjoyed the bromance of the tight knit group of guys, the humor, and the fun of them reading a historical romance together to learn more about women.  I found it very entertaining, and Mack was one of my favorite characters, so I'm really excited to read his story!

What are you waiting on?              

Ho-Ho-Ho Readathon: The Magical Christmas Cat & 10 Blind Dates

The Magical Christmas Cat
By: Lora Leigh, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh, and Linda Winstead Jones
Published: October 7, 2008
Publisher: Berkley
Source: Purchased on Amazon
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Put a little meow in your stocking with these tales of Christmas romance from four New York Times bestselling authors.

Lora Leigh, Nalini Singh, Erin McCarthy, and Linda Winstead Jones have a special gift for readers: heartwarming holiday stories featuring passionate romance, paranormal adventure, and a distinctly alluring feline touch. 

With four thrilling stories—including one featuring Lora Leigh's genetically altered Feline Breeds—this is a collection packed with more surprises than Christmas morning, and more chills than the snowiest winter night...

 

My Thoughts:

For the Ho-Ho-Ho Readathon, I wanted to read a variety of Christmas reads. So for my first pick I chose an anthology in the adult paranormal genre, and for my second choice, I picked a young adult, full length contemporary. However, as all of you know, I love the romance genre, so both of my reads are full off, swoons, feels, and the romantic vibe! 

The Magical Christmas Cat called to me when I saw the large fluffy white cat on the cover. My Nana loved cats, and I'm coming up on the second year of her passing, and missing her so very much. When I saw this book, it made me think of her, because she use to have a cat that was the light of her life, and looked just like the cat on the cover! It made me feel connected to her, and I needed that. 

The Magical Christmas Cat had four short stories, and each of these stories featured a cat in one way or another. My favorite stories hands down were Christmas Heat by Lora Leigh and Stroke of Enticement by Nalini Singh. They were both part of a larger series, but I had no problem following along. I read both of these stories very fast, and love a good shape-shifter romance. I'm going to need to begin the Breeds and Psy-Changeling books! 

Christmas Bree was a fun story and I enjoyed the dynamic between the three sisters who were witches. Sweet Dreams was the slowest story for me, and my least favorite. It had a paranormal horror feel, and lacked romance. I felt like it didn't vibe with the other three stories in the anthology, but it was still entertaining. 

Most of the stories in this anthology were very sexy, entertaining, romantic, and mesmerizing. If you enjoy paranormal romance, with more explicit sexual content, and a variety of authors and short stories, you should definitely pick up this holiday anthology!

10 Blind Dates
By: Ashley Elston
Published: October 1, 2019
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Source: Purchased on Amazon
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Sophie wants one thing for Christmas—a little freedom from her overprotective parents. So when they decide to spend Christmas in South Louisiana with her very pregnant older sister, Sophie is looking forward to some much needed private (read: make-out) time with her long-term boyfriend, Griffin. Except it turns out that Griffin wants a little freedom from their relationship. Cue devastation. 

Heartbroken, Sophie flees to her grandparents' house, where the rest of her boisterous extended family is gathered for the holiday. That's when her nonna devises a (not so) brilliant plan: Over the next ten days, Sophie will be set up on ten different blind dates by different family members. Like her sweet cousin Sara, who sets her up with a hot guy at an exclusive underground party. Or her crazy aunt Patrice, who signs Sophie up for a lead role in a living nativity. With a boy who barely reaches her shoulder. And a screaming baby. 

When Griffin turns up unexpectedly and begs for a second chance, Sophie feels more confused than ever. Because maybe, just maybe, she's started to have feelings for someone else . . . Someone who is definitely not available. 

This is going to be the worst Christmas break ever . . . or is it?

My Thoughts:

10 Blind Dates was such a fun, cute, and heartwarming read!  I breezed right through this fantastic story with a smile on my face, and lots of giggles and laughs.  It was the perfect holiday read, filled with family, fun, friendship, and of course a very sweet romance!

Sophie's family kept me laughing and entertained with the way they meddled, (all from a place of love,) supported one another, bickered, had fun, and were always there for one another.  This story had the, My Big Fat Greek Wedding vibe, except that Sophie's family was Sicilian, instead of Greek.  The descriptions of Nonna's food and deserts had me salivating, and the pairing of food and family is always a win for me.  

I loved watching Sophie's relationships blossom.  It made my heart happy to see her reconnecting with her grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles; and I could relate to how close she was to her sister.  I thought it was wonderful seeing Sophie come into her own, and discovering who she was and who she wanted to become.

I adored this story, and can't recommend it enough!

Book Review: Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

Twice in a Blue Moon
By: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Gallery Books
Release Date: October 22, 2019
Source: eARC from publisher in exchange for a honest review
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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners and the “delectable, moving” (Entertainment Weekly) My Favorite Half-Night Stand comes a modern love story about what happens when your first love reenters your life when you least expect it… 

Sam Brandis was Tate Jones’s first: Her first love. Her first everything. Including her first heartbreak. 

During a whirlwind two-week vacation abroad, Sam and Tate fell for each other in only the way that first loves do: sharing all of their hopes, dreams, and deepest secrets along the way. Sam was the first, and only, person that Tate—the long-lost daughter of one of the world’s biggest film stars—ever revealed her identity to. So when it became clear her trust was misplaced, her world shattered for good. 

Fourteen years later, Tate, now an up-and-coming actress, only thinks about her first love every once in a blue moon. When she steps onto the set of her first big break, he’s the last person she expects to see. Yet here Sam is, the same charming, confident man she knew, but even more alluring than she remembered. Forced to confront the man who betrayed her, Tate must ask herself if it’s possible to do the wrong thing for the right reason… and whether “once in a lifetime” can come around twice. 

With Christina Lauren’s signature “beautifully written and remarkably compelling” (Sarah J. Maas, New York Times bestselling author) prose and perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Jennifer Weiner, Twice in a Blue Moon is an unforgettable and moving novel of young love and second chances.

 

My Thoughts:

I have had the pleasure of reading and enjoying author team Christina Lauren's books for several years now.  When I saw Twice in a Blue Moon, I was excited to get my hands on this newest addition and dive right in.  As a side note, I love the book cover and the whimsical and fun quality of the moon and stars.

The story begins with the main character Tate traveling with her Nana to celebrate her eighteenth birthday on her dream trip to London.  While on vacation Nana and Tate meet Luther and his grandson Sam, who are in London celebrating Sam's twenty-first birthday.  Nana is very cautious and warns Tate not to talk to anyone and to keep to herself.  Tate was excited to be away from home, to enjoy London, and get away from the heaviness of the secrets that resided at home.  

On the trip, Tate and Sam are drawn to one another and share a sizzling chemistry.  They quickly hit it off and find themselves spending a lot of time together.  What takes place is a romantic whirlwind, where these two experience an intense, exciting, and sweet first love.  Unfortunately, the tide shifts when Sam and Luther leave without saying goodbye, and Tate's trust is betrayed when her confidence is broken by Sam.

Fourteen years later, Tate is a successful actress and is excited to be embarking on a film that is sure to take her career to the next level.  However, she is completely caught off guard when she see's Sam, and learns that he is the writer for the film she will be starring in.  Tate has a lot of anger and hurt regarding Sam, but has never stopped loving him.  With the two of them on set, how will she manage to successfully act, and resolve the conflicting emotions that she feels towards Sam?

I enjoyed reading about the innocence, exuberance, and excitement of first love.  I could feel the butterflies, and picture these two that couldn't take their eyes off of one another.  Sam's betrayal devastated me, and I was angry and hurt for a young and brokenhearted Tate. 

When Tate and Sam were reunited on set, I struggled with forgiving him, even though I understood his explanation to a certain extent.  I felt like he could have handled the situation differently and even after everything went down, he didn't try to fix anything.  I enjoyed meeting an older Tate and Sam.  Being on the movie set, interacting with cast and crew, and the daily ins and outs of filming were fascinating.  Tate ends up acting with her famous and narcissistic father, and it heart my heart the way that he had abandoned her when she was younger, and she was still trying so hard to have a relationship with him, when all he cared about was himself.  

My favorite elements in the story were the characters, with my most beloved being Tate, her mother, Nana, Luther, and Tate's best friend Charlie.  I loved the settings of London and the farm where the movie was staged.  The romance was secondary for me, and I think that was because I didn't find myself falling for Sam the second time around, the way I did the first rime, before his betrayal.  

Christina Lauren is a very talented author duo.  I love their romantic comedies, and Twice in a Blue Moon was a more serious story. I enjoyed seeing them write a different type of story, and it just goes to prove that these two can write anything!   

Purchase At:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | IndieBound | TBD

About the Authors:

Yes, there are two of us! Lauren (on the left) and Christina (on the right). Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners and best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The #1 international bestselling coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced fourteen New York Times bestselling novels. They are published in over 30 languages, have received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, won both the Seal of Excellence and Book of the Year from RT Magazine, named Amazon and Audible Romance of the Year, a Lambda Literary Award finalist and been nominated for several Goodreads Choice Awards. They have been featured in publications such as Forbes, The Washington Post, Time, Entertainment Weekly, People, O Magazine and more. Their third YA novel, Autoboyography was released in 2017 to critical acclaim, followed by Roomies, Love and Other Words, Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, and the Publisher’s Weekly starred My Favorite Half-Night Stand, out in December. 

Lauren Billings (but everyone calls her Lo) has a Ph.D. in neuroscience and before she made writing her full-time job, would spend her days doing nerdy research-type things wearing a lab coat and goggles. She is silly Mommy to two littles, wife to one mountain biking homebrewing scientist, and an unabashed lover of YA and romance. 

Christina Hobbs (but you’ll always hear Lo call her PQ) used to spend her days in a junior high counseling office surrounded by teenagers. These days you can find her at her desk, writing or watching BTS videos. She grew up in Utah and is absolutely not old enough to be the mom of a 17 year old (right??), thinks she’s the luckiest person in the world to write books with her best friend, and is an unapologetic lover of boy bands and glitter. 

You can follow their shenanigans at: @lolashoes (Lauren) & @seeCwrite (Christina) on Twitter. On Tumblr! where we post kissing gifs and writerly stuff and Wattpad for short stories and sneak peeks! 

For official information about their books, events, interviews, movie/TV news and more, follow @christinalauren.

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