Blog Tour + ARC Review & Giveaway: Gabriel’s Redemption by Sylvain Reynard

Posted in 4 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Gabriel’s Redemption by Sylvain Reynard
Series: Gabriel’s Inferno #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 3rd 2013
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Berkley Trade) in exchange for an honest review

From the author of the New York Times bestsellers Gabriel’s Rapture and Gabriel’s Inferno comes the epic conclusion to the captivating romantic trilogy.

Professor Gabriel Emerson has left his position at the University of Toronto to embark on a new life with his beloved Julianne. Together, he’s confident that they can face any challenge. And he’s eager to become a father.

But Julianne’s graduate program threatens Gabriel’s plans, as the pressures of being a student become all consuming. When she is given the honor of presenting an academic lecture at Oxford, Gabriel is forced to confront Julianne about the subject of her presentation—research that conflicts with his own. And in Oxford, several individuals from their past appear, including an old nemesis intent on humiliating Julia and exposing one of Gabriel’s darkest secrets.

In an effort to confront his remaining demons, Gabriel begins a quest to discover more about his biological parents, beginning a chain of events that has startling repercussions for himself, Julianne, and his hope of having a family.

Buy Links:
Amazon Kindle • Amazon Paperback • Barnes & Noble Nook • Barnes & Noble Paperback
iTunes iBook • Chapters Indigo Paperback • Chapters Indigo Kobo

Gabriel’s Redemption was an absolute delight to read, and I thoroughly enjoyed the conclusion to Julia and Gabriel’s heartfelt, enchanting love story.

“For you, my love, I would endeavor to pluck the stars from the sky, only to shower them at your feet.”

This third and final book of the Gabriel series picks up a few months after Gabriel’s Rapture, and Gabriel and Julia are married. In the beginning, they’ve adjusted to married life pretty easily, dealing with Julia’s upcoming lecture and Gabriel’s new job. Julia’s graduate program brings her much stress, but her husband takes it upon himself to ease her, and he does so very well. Gabriel shows his love so thoroughly and completely, and yet sometimes he still can’t accept that he’s been given a chance at happiness.

In Gabriel’s Redemption, all of Gabriel’s anxieties and fears come to light. Gabriel still has demons from his past rearing their heads, and they strain his marriage. Julia and Gabriel are in love–there’s no doubt about this, but Gabriel’s past–his biological parents, his past drug use and drinking problem–all of his flaws are all he sees in his marriage. He wants to have a child with Julia, but he’s terrified he won’t make a good father.

But no matter how deep into the darkness Gabriel falls, his love for Julia holds him strong. They support one another, as a couple should, and their marriage solidifies and grounds their love. Gabriel goes through much emotional growth throughout the series, but especially once he’s married. He has to deal with his family history, finding out more about his biological father and his family, and he finally gets his answers.

There’s quite a bit of religious undertones in Gabriel’s Redemption, and I felt SR handled it with skill. Mostly, it’s of keeping faith and believing in redemption for Gabriel. He’s lost his way, and truly believes he can’t be redeemed, but Julia lights his way through the darkness. Gabriel’s journey toward happiness is so heartfelt and heart-wrenching, but I also loved how all of the secondary characters are dealt with too. We get a solid conclusion for Julia and Gabriel, as well as for Paul and Christa. Loose ends are tied up, and SR does it all with his gorgeous writing.

“I love you more now than I did before we were married.” Julia wore a contemplative expression. “Marriage is the strangest thing. Almost without realizing it, I feel as if our lives and our hearts became knitted together. I don’t know how it happened.”

The Gabriel’s Inferno series is an absolute must-read. It’s beautifully written, and Gabriel and Julia’s love story is one of the best I’ve ever read. Gabriel’s Redemption was a perfect conclusion to the series, and I was really happy with how the story played out.

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Reading Order: Gabriel’s Inferno series

#1 ~ Gabriel’s Inferno: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Gabriel’s Rapture: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Gabriel’s Redemption: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

I’m interested in the way literature can help us explore aspects of the human condition – particularly suffering, sex, love, faith, and redemption. My favourite stories are those in which a character takes a journey, either a physical journey to a new and exciting place, or a personal journey in which he or she learns something about himself/herself.

I’m also interested in how aesthetic elements such as art, architecture, and music can be used to tell a story or to illuminate the traits of a particular character. In my writing, I combine all of these elements with the themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the transformative power of goodness.

I try to use my platform as an author to raise awareness about the following charities: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation, WorldVision, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, and Covenant House. For more information, see my Twitter account.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

a pair of Christian Louboutins
15 sets of the Gabriel’s trilogy

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5Dec2013

Release Day Blitz + Giveaway: One Wild Night by Magan Vernon

Posted in Giveaways, Spotlight by Lacey

One Wild Night by Magan Vernon
December 2013
Part 1 in the FOREVER WILD series

One Wild Night Can Change Everything

Valerie Wilder doesn’t do serious relationships. She also doesn’t usually wake up in Vegas next to a male stripper…

A male stripper who happens to be her new husband.

A quickie divorce seems like the answer, but the Nevada legal system doesn’t think so. When her new husband suggests flying back to Chicago with Valerie she accepts, wondering if one night in Vegas could turn into something much more.

*One Wild Night- EPISODE 1 in the first season of the Forever Wild Serial. (This is a six part series with one book releasing every 3 weeks)

Note from the author about the series:

Forever Wild is a serialized series. This means that each book in this series is only around 50 pages, novella length, kind of like a TV show episode. There will be six total books in this series, each one coming out every three weeks. The first book is One Wild Night that comes out December 5th and the next book is titled Wild Hearts that comes out December 26th.

Buy Links:

Magan Vernon is a Young Adult and New Adult writer who lives with her family in the insurance capital of the world. When not writing she spends her time fighting over fake boyfriends via social media. You can find her online at www.maganvernon.com.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Magan is giving away some signed swag! 5 winners receive a postcard and 1 person will receive a 8X10 signed by Magan and her cover model.

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5Dec2013

Embrace Launch Tour + Author Interview & Giveaway: Ruined by Jus Accardo

Posted in Blog Tours, Exclusive, Giveaways by Lacey

Ruined by Jus Accardo

Hell is looking for a way to break loose…

Jax lost the genetic lottery. Descended from Cain, the world’s first murderer, he’s plagued by a curse that demands violence in exchange for his happiness. He left everything behind, including the girl he loved, but thriving on the pain of others is lonely… And it’s killing him.

After a series of heartbreaking losses, Samantha put rubber to pavement and headed for college as fast as her clunker could carry her. But she can’t outrun her problems. When an attack at school drives her back home, she’s thrown into the path of a past—and a guy—she’s been trying to forget.

Sam strains Jax’s control over his darkness, but running isn’t an option this time. Someone—or, something—followed her home from school: a ruthless monster with a twisted plan centuries in the making. Forced together to survive, and fighting an attraction that could destroy them both, Jax and Sam must stop a killer bent on revenge.

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & Noble

Today’s stop on the Embrace Launch Tour features RUINED by Jus Accardo. And luckily I got to have an interview with Jus!

Author Interview: Jus Accardo

How did you come up with the idea for Ruined?

I actually got the idea after having a long conversation with a friend about sibling rivalry. I approached my editor with the concept, aimed for Entangled’s new (at the time) imprint, Covet. But when I submitted the sample chapters, she felt the characters sounded too young. I set the idea aside and moved on. It was almost a year later, when she came back to me, remembering the plot, and asked me to write it for the NA line.

What was the most difficult part of writing Ruined?

I think if I had to pick, I’d have to say writing in duel POV. I fell so hard for Jax’s POV that it was hard to swap sometimes. I found myself mapping all the scenes through his eyes, but unfortunately the story just didn’t work that way. I think he’ll need to have a short along the way. Something that’s all his…. Hmm…

The cover looks AWESOME! Did you have any part in how it was made?

I actually didn’t. They usually ask us for ideas, and I usually have a ton, but with RUINED, I had nothing at all! My only requirement was hot guy 😉 I think they did good.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

I think I’d like to either be able to talk to animals (I’d love to know what my Akita is thinkging…) or be able to teleport as I’m terrified to fly.

Three reasons why people should read Ruined?

Jax, Jax, Jax.

*Ahem*

Seriously. Ruined is badass, original (at least, I think 😉 ), and it has twins. Hot twins. Need there be any other reason than that?

So there you have it! Obviously, Ruined is a must read. 😉 Thank you Jus Accardo for the wonderful interview!

JUS ACCARDO spent her childhood reading and learning to cook. Determined to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps as a chef, she applied and was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America. At the last minute, she realized her path lay with fiction, not food, and passed on the spot to pursue writing. Jus is the bestselling author the popular Denazen series from Entangled publishing and is currently working on the first book in a new adult series due out summer 2013. A native New Yorker, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband, three dogs, and sometimes guard bear, Oswald.

Website • Twitter • Facebook

About Embrace:

EMBRACE…endless possibilities. A new adult imprint from Entangled, launching November 11th! You can follow them and get more information about future titles @EPEmbrace or their Facebook.

Definitely, Maybe in Love by Ophelia London

Spring Honeycutt wants two things: to ace her sustainable living thesis and to save the environment. Both seem hopelessly unobtainable until her college professor suggests that with a new angle, her paper could be published. Spring swears she’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that happens.

“Whatever it takes,” however, means forming a partnership with the very hot, very privileged, very conceited Henry Knightly.

Henry is Spring’s only hope at publication, but he’s also the über-rich son of a land developer and cash-strapped Spring’s polar opposite. Too bad she can’t help being attracted to the way he pushes her buttons, both politically and physically. As they work on her thesis, Spring finds there’s more to Henry than his old money and argyle sweaters…but can she drop the loud-and-proud act long enough to let him in? Suddenly, choosing between what she wants and what she needs puts Spring at odds with everything she believes in.

Definitely, Maybe in Love is a modern take on Pride and Prejudice that proves true love is worth risking a little pride.

Trouble Comes Knocking by Mary Duncanson

It’s hard not to answer when trouble comes knocking.

A girl who can’t forget…

Twenty-two-year-old Lucy Carver is like Sherlock Holmes in ballet flats, but her eidetic memory is more albatross than asset, and something she usually keeps hidden. When she notices that something’s amiss at her dead-end job, she jumps at the chance to finally use her ability for good. That is, until, a man is murdered, and she becomes the target of the killer.

A detective on his first case…

Detective Eli Reyes is overbearing, pompous, way too hot for Lucy’s own good, and seems as determined to ruin her relationship with her boyfriend, John, as finding the murderer. He brings Lucy in on the case, thinking she can help him get to the truth, only to cut her loose when he realizes he’s gotten far more than he ever bargained for.

A past that won’t go away…

When memories from her childhood invade her present, Lucy discovers a mystery bigger than she could have imagined. With the killer still after her, and Eli nowhere to be found, she takes things into her own hands, determined to expose the truth no matter what—before trouble comes knocking…again.

Hushed by Kelley York

He’s loved her. Killed for her. Yet he may not be able to save her.

Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn’t protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids. Since then, he’s never stopped trying to shelter her from everything else. It doesn’t matter that Vivian only uses him when skipping from one toxic relationship to another. Archer is always there, reeled in and tossed out, waiting to be noticed.Then Evan Bishop breezes into town with a warm smile and calming touch, and Archer can’t deny his attraction to him. Evan is the only person who keeps him around without a single string attached. And the harder Archer falls for Evan, the more he sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.But Viv has her hooks in deep, and once she finds out Archer’s dark secret, she threatens to expose the truth if she doesn’t get what she wants. And what she wants is for him to end his relationship with Evan…permanently.

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4Dec2013

Book Blitz + Excerpt & Giveaway: Mine To Tarnish by Janeal Falor

Posted in Giveaways, Spotlight by Lacey

Mine to Tarnish (Mine .5)
by Janeal Falor
Release Date: 12/02/13

Katherine’s place is the same as any woman’s—on the shelf next to the dresses and bolts of cloth. When she’s sold to a warlock, life grows even bleaker. Her new owner is as old and rancid as he is cruel, driving her to do the unthinkable: run.

Nothing prepared her for being on her own. And she’s definitely unprepared for the warlocks hunting her down. But she must stay one step ahead because if caught, the best she can hope for is death.

Buy Link:

Link to Book One:

Advance Praise:
Although this novella is a little over a hundred pages, it packs a big punch. When you are as excellent at stringing words together as Janeal Falor is, the emotion and action are concise and clear. ~ Terrie a Librarian

Excerpt

“You’ve been owned your entire life. It’s hard to change from that even if it’s what you want.”

There’s a burning behind my eyes that grows and spills onto my cheeks. He pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and hands it to me. After I take it, his hand lingers on mine. It’s soft. Not his skin, though. His skin is rough with callouses, but the way he touches me. Gentle, so unlike the way other men grab and pinch and slap.

“It’s clean.” His words startle me from my thoughts.

It takes me a moment to realize he’s referring to the handkerchief. I dab my tears and laugh. “I didn’t know tarnished carried handkerchiefs. I thought you weren’t allowed anything except your clothes and materials you need for whatever job you are assigned.”

He smiles, warming me. “One thing about tarnished. Always be prepared.”

“All tarnished or just you?” I offer the handkerchief but he waves me away.

“Keep it. You need it more than I do.”

I fold the handkerchief and tuck it carefully in my pack. “Thank you.”

Janeal Falor lives in Utah where she’s finally managed to live in the same house for more than five years without moving. In her spare time she reads books like they’re nuts covered in caramel and chocolate, cooks whatever strikes her fancy, and enjoys the outdoors. Her husband and three children try to keep up with her overactive imagination. Usually they settle for having dinner on the table, even if she’s still going on about the voices in her head.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

–10 e-ARC copies of Mine To Tarnish, PDF, Mobi, or ePub (INT)

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4Dec2013

Cover Reveal + Excerpt & Giveaway: Surrendering to Us by Chelsea M. Cameron

Posted in Cover Reveals, Giveaways by Lacey

Surrendering to Us by Chelsea M. Cameron
January 2014

They’re finally together. But the Universe seems intent on tearing them apart…

Rory Clarke might not be Lucah Blythe’s boss anymore, but that doesn’t mean they can sneak off to the boardroom for hot sex whenever they want. Keeping their hands off each other in the workplace is harder than they could have imagined, and that’s not the only obstacle they have to deal with. Between Lucah’s troublesome brother Ryder, and Rory’s bff Sloane’s inability to understand locked doors, they’re drowning in drama.

But it’s only about to get a lot worse when a blast from Lucah’s past surfaces, and chaos at Clarke Enterprises threatens to take away everything Rory has worked so hard for. Can the couple weather the storm and surrender to each other, or will the challenges of staying together destroy their relationship for good?

Excerpt

He was always warm in the morning, and the sleepiness in my body was quickly replaced by desire as he moved in and out of me, kissing my shoulders and muttering in my ear. We both came quickly, and when he was done, I was definitely awake.

“Good morning,” he said, and pulled out.

“Good morning to you too,” I said, rolling back over. My body was liquid and I didn’t feel like I had any bones. He was going to have to carry me into the shower and hold me up.

“Is this going to be one of those mornings when I have to make and then bring you breakfast and turn the shower on for you?”

“Is this a day that ends in Y?” He grinned and went to put on his boxers. If I ever had to live by myself, I was probably going to starve. Both my parents were good cooks, and then I moved in with Sloane and now I had Lucah to make me breakfast every morning. I used to just grab something on my way to work, but Lucah said he worried about the state of my arteries from all the donuts. That made me glare at him and ask if that was a safe way of telling me I was fat. His response was to slap my ass and take me to bed and show me just how much he loved every inch of me.

Twenty minutes later, he brought a tray with scrambled eggs and salsa, toast, fresh fruit, a blueberry smoothie and a cup of green tea.

“I want to have your ginger babies.” He’d even put a little flower in a vase on it. I was terrible about plants and Sloane was worse, but Lucah had brought a few of them into the apartment when we’d moved in. He told me that since he moved so much, he could never really have plants, so he was happy to finally be in a place where he could. Who could say no to that?

“I don’t know if we’re quite ready for that yet, Miss Clarke. But I think you would be a beautiful mother.” Lucah had the power to completely liquefy my heart as well as the rest of my insides.

“You haven’t seen me with your nieces yet. Maybe I’ll be terrible with them.”

“I doubt that.”

Reading Order: Surrender Saga series

#1 ~ Sweet Surrendering: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Surrendering to Us: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Dark Surrendering: Goodreads (August 2014)

Chelsea M. Cameron is a YA/NA New York Times/USA Today Best Selling author from Maine. Lover of things random and ridiculous, Jane Austen/Charlotte and Emily Bronte Fangirl, red velvet cake enthusiast, obsessive tea drinker, vegetarian, former cheerleader and world’s worst video gamer. When not writing, she enjoys watching infomercials, singing in the car and tweeting (this one time, she was tweeted by Neil Gaiman). She has a degree in journalism from the University of Maine, Orono that she promptly abandoned to write about the people in her own head. More often than not, these people turn out to be just as weird as she is.

Her New Adult Contemporary Romance titles include My Favorite Mistake, which has been bought by Harlequin along with a sequel, Deeper We Fall and Faster We Burn (April 20, 2013)

Her Young Adult books include Nocturnal, Nightmare and Neither, the first three books in The Noctalis Chronicles. The fourth and final book, Neverend will be out in 2013. Whisper, the first in The Whisper Trilogy is also available, with the second book in the series, Silence and the final book, LIsten coming out in 2014.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

Chelsea M. Cameron is giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card! Contest is international.

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