Release Day Launch + Giveaway: Sneaking Candy by Lisa Burstein

Sneaking Candy by Lisa Burstein

Sneaking Candy by Lisa Burstein
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All I ever wanted was to make a name for myself as Candice Salinas, creative writing grad student at the University of Miami. Of course, secretlyI already have made a name for myself: as Candy Sloane, self-published erotic romance writer. Though thrilled that my books are selling and I have actual fans, if anyone at UM found out, I could lose my scholarship…and the respect of my faculty advisor, grade-A-asshole Professor Dylan.

Enter James Walker, super-hot local barista and—surprise!—my student. Even though I know a relationship is totally off-limits, I can’t stop myself from sneaking around with James, taking a few cues from my own erotic writing…if you catch my drift. Candy’s showing her stripes for the first time in my real life, and I’ve never had so much fun. But when the sugar high fades, can my secrets stay under wraps?

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about the author

Lisa BursteinLisa Burstein is a tea seller by day and a writer by night. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from the Inland Northwest Center for Writers at Eastern Washington University. She is the author of the YA Novels: Pretty Amy and Dear Cassie and the NA Novella: The Next Forever. Sneaking Candy is her first full-length new adult novel.

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Review: Elite by Rachel Van Dyken

Elite by Rachel Van Dyken

Elite by Rachel Van Dyken
Series: Eagle Elite #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 14th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

When I won the annual Eagle Elite College Scholarship lottery, I was thrilled. After all, my grandma had just died and I wanted to take care of my aging grandpa — he couldn’t be a farmer in Wyoming forever. And graduating from Eagle Elite meant opportunity.

But I wasn’t counting on meeting Nixon.

Nor was I counting on the rules of the Elect.

1. Do not touch The Elect.
2. Do not look at The Elect.
3. Do not speak to The Elect.

And worst of all? Don’t discover the secret they hide, because in the end, you may just realize… it’s about you.

*This is a New Adult Book, blood, violence, cursing, sexual references, and drug use. Not recommended for those under 17.*

This book… was nothing I ever expected. The beginning was less than stellar, so I wasn’t sure I’d even enjoy the rest of the book, but then… things started to get intense. Exciting. Thrilling. And very different from your average new adult/college romance. I can’t say that I loved it, but I ended up really enjoying myself by the end of the book.

The first third of the book was bad. I didn’t like it. It had too much of a clichéd boarding school young adult feel, which I’m not a fan of. The characters didn’t sound their age at all. They were in their twenties, but when they opened their mouths, they were 14 year old middle schoolers. Not good at all. The main character, Tracey, or Trace, is a freshman in college, and she wins a scholarship to Eagle Elite College, one of the top, prestigious colleges that houses the rich and wealthy. At the very top of the student body, the elite of the elite, is the group known as The Elect. The boys in The Elect–Nixon, Chase, Phoenix, and Tex–rule the school, and they have a very strict set of rules.

1. Do not touch The Elect.
2. Do not look at The Elect.
3. Do not speak to The Elect.

Um, yeah. Assholes, much? Basically, The Elect a bunch of good-looking, nasty bullies who rule the school and who all the girls fall over themselves for. Can you tell how much I didn’t like that? This was the entire first third of the book. Nixon would devise some scheme to humiliate Tracey, the new girl, and Trace would try not to cry. But it turns out that Nixon does all this to protect Trace from the other students. If he bullies Trace, no one else will. And once he withdraws his “protection” all hell breaks loose and Trace is completely humiliated and degraded. By this time, I’m not even sure where the book is going, but thank god, the plot starts to change. It moves away from the petty bullying, to the more mysterious side of the story. The Elect takes in Trace, and she gets to know them better, especially Nixon, but there’s always something she’s missing from their conversations. It’s like they have an inside joke, and Trace isn’t a part of it.

Eventually, things start to take a darker tone, but all the while, Trace and Nixon are getting closer together. There are secrets between them though, secrets that Nixon doesn’t want Trace to know. I don’t want to spoil it, even though it’s fairly obvious in the book what Nixon is involved in, but this was the reason why I started liking Elite a lot better. Plus, Nixon becomes a total sweetheart. I haven’t really forgiven him for being a complete jerk, but he was getting there. Because, oh my, the things he says to Trace? Swoon!

“Don’t you get it?”
My breathing became erratic as he leaned close enough to kiss me again. “I’d give my life for yours.”

By a darker tone, I meant that lives are at stake. It’s not some cutesy romance anymore. There’s death and violence, and everything is so much more than you can comprehend. You think that the story will be going one way, but the plot twists and turns, and Rachel Van Dyken does this flawlessly.

The rest of the story, after that awful first third of the book, was awesome! Rachel Van Dyken had me make a complete 180 about all the characters. I started caring for Nixon and Trace and the rest of the gang, and I was hooked onto their story. I couldn’t stop reading, because everything builds up, revelations are made, and all the characters are in constant danger. It’s so much fun to read! And I really started liking Nixon more by the end of the book. AH! He’s so sweet, even if he is a dangerous man.

“I won’t let anything happen to you – I swear on my life, I’ll protect you until the day I die,” Nixon whispered hoarsely.
“That’s a pretty big promise.”
“Well, you’re a pretty important person. Important people deserve big promises, and you, Trace. You deserve the world.”

Okay, so I give 2 hearts for the first third, and 4 for the rest of the book. 3.5 hearts! If you can get over the meh of the first third of the book, then I think you’ll enjoy Elite just fine.

3.5-hearts

lacey

Reading Order: Eagle Elite series

Elite by Rachel Van Dyken Enforce by Rachel Van Dyken Elect by Rachel Van Dyken
Entice by Rachel Van Dyken Elicit by Rachel Van Dyken Ember by Rachel Van Dyken

#1 ~ Elite: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Enforce: Goodreads (Dec. 2014)
#2 ~ Elect: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Entice: EbookPaperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Elicit: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#5 ~ Ember: Goodreads (Feb. 2015)

Review: Until You by Penelope Douglas

Until You by Penelope Douglas

Until You by Penelope Douglas
Series: Fall Away #1.5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 4th 2013
Links: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads

***This novel contains graphic sexual content and harsh language. It is only appropriate for adult readers age 18+.

Have you ever been so angry that hitting things felt good? Or so numb that you actually felt high? The past few years have been like that for me. Traveling between fury and indifference with no stops in between.

Some people hate me for it, while others are scared of me. But none of them can hurt me, because I don’t care about anything or anyone.

Except Tatum.

I love her so much that I hate her. We used to be friends, but I found out that I couldn’t trust her or anyone else.

So I hurt her. I pushed her away.

But I still need her. The sight of her centers me, and I can pool all of my anger into her. Engaging her, challenging her, bullying her…they are my food, my air, and the last part of me that feels anything human.

But she left. She went to France for a year, and came back a different girl.

Now, when I push, she pushes back.

Oh lord. This book. THIS. BOOK. I don’t know how to describe my love for this beautiful book and series. I am completely head over heels in LOVE, and it’s all because of a boy named JARED. Jared will be the death of me, I swear. I CAN’T HANDLE HIS HOTNESS. *Takes a deep breath* Okay, so yeah. I loved this book.

If you’re expecting Until You to just be a retelling of Bully in Jared’s POV, well, you’re in for a lovely surprise. Until You has so much more than what happens in Bully, and the timeline is longer. We get more of the year that Tate left for Europe (when Jared is totally moping about how Tate won’t be there with him for him to bully), more flashbacks of Jared and Tate’s childhood (they are the cutest!), and  more of what happens after the end of Bully (which is YAY!!) And Penelope Douglas writes this all with Jared’s no nonsense, totally badass POV. (Please write more male POV Penelope!)

What is it with boys who are totally hot but complete jerks? And WHY do I still keep on loving them? Maybe it’s the sweet side that they show only to the women they love, or maybe it’s the whole redemption thing, but whatever reason it is, I can’t stop reading about them! And Jared is probably my all-time favorite jerk. He’s the jerk of my dreams. The lovable jerk. Sometimes he takes it too far, but whenever that happens, we know that he feels guilty (even though he tries to be badass and not show it). *Sigh* Jared just makes me swoon so hard.

“Girlfriend isn’t enough to describe you, Tate. That term is disposable. You’re not my girlfriend, my girl, or my woman. You’re. Just. Mine,” I bit out every syllable, so she would fucking understand. “And I’m yours,” I added, a little calmer.”

We get to see how devastated Jared felt when he came home from his father’s, and how he kept spiraling downward, and pushing Tate away. But then, when Tate comes back, everything changes for him. It’s not so easy to bully her or to bottle up his feelings for her. Because no matter how many times Jared tries to push Tate away, she is always in his heart. And when he’s finally done with the bullying… SAH-WOOOON!! Oh god, why is Jared so amazing? He turns on the charm because he knows Tate can’t resist him, just like he can’t resist her, and the two of them together are explosive.

But I wanted Tate back. My heart only beat for her, and I’d rather spend my life hating, loving, fucking, and breathing her than losing her.

Jared’s lantern tattoo!! AH! The sweetest thing I’ve ever read. Until You is perfect. Reading from Jared’s POV about how much he loves Tate, and how he tries to redeem himself is just the best thing ever. Penelope Douglas is a goddess for creating one of my favorite book boyfriends!

“I can’t change the past, Tate. I wish I could, because I’d go back and relive every day that I existed without you, and I’d make sure that you smiled.” My eyes burned with regret, and I saw the pools in her beautiful blues, too. “Every minute of my future belongs to you.”

If you haven’t read Bully yet, you should. And then you should immediately read Until You (you lucky butt, you didn’t have to wait for it to release). I am SO excited for Madoc’s book. He has a much bigger part in Until You since he’s Jared’s best friend, and he actually seems like a genuine guy. Yeah, he’s a smartass and an idiot sometimes, but he’s hilarious and a really great friend for Jared. And oh! Jax! Can’t believe I almost forgot about him. Jared’s brother is getting his own book, and I’m PSYCHED. Jax sounds awesome, but broken. Can’t wait to see how Penelope Douglas will play out their stories!

5 hearts
lacey


Reading Order: Fall Away series

Bully by Penelope Douglas Until You by Penelope Douglas
Rival by Penelope Douglas Falling Away by Penelope Douglas Aflame by Penelope Douglas

#1 ~ Bully: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Until You: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Rival: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Falling Away: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Aflame: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads


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Book News, Weekly Recap & Upcoming Releases! {16}

Cover Reveals!!

Finding My Forever by Heidi McLaughlin

Finding My Forever (Beaumont #3) by Heidi McLaughlin
Release Date: December 30th 2013

Everywhere I look, my friends are settling down – marriage, children, white picket fences; but not me. Marriage isn’t in the cards for me. I’m a ladies man.

A rock star.

I was born and raised in the industry.
I love everything about my life, especially the attention from the women that my status brings me.

Women find me. I don’t chase. I know what they want and they know I’ll deliver.

But after one look, one touch, one night… now I’m the one doing the chasing.

I need to find a way to show her that I’m serious, that I can change.

I need to find a way to show her that I can love her fully, and only her.

I need to find a way to show her that she’s my forever.

Donners of the Dead by Karina Halle

Donners of the Dead by Karina Halle
Release Date: February 24th 2014

***A Standalone Horror Romance coming February 2014***

Jake McGraw was unlike anyone I’d ever known. He was brash, rude, unapologetic and arrogant; chauvinistic, close-minded, and terribly stubborn. He was built like a tree, tall with a hard chest and wide shoulders and hands that looked like they could wrestle a bear. He was a cigar-chomping, scruffy-faced, beast of a man. I was pretty sure I hated him. And I know he hated me. But among the flesh-eating monsters in these snow-capped mountains, he was the only thing keeping me alive 

The year is 1851 and pioneers in search of California gold are still afraid to travel on the same route as the tragic Donner party did years before. When the last wagon train to go into the Sierra Nevada mountains fails to arrive at their destination, Eve Smith, an 18-year old half-native girl with immense tracking skills is brought along with the search party, headed by an enigmatic former Texas Ranger, Jake McGraw.

What they find deep in the dangerous snow-covered terrain is a terrifying consequence of cannibalism, giving new meaning to the term “monster.” While the search party is slowly picked off, one by one, Eve must learn to trust Jake, who harbors more than a few secrets of his own, in order to survive and prevent the monstrosities from reaching civilization.

***This is NOT New Adult***

Nude Caucasian Woman

Surrendering to Us (Surrendering Saga #2) by Chelsea M. Cameron
Release Date: January 2nd 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?

Phenomenal X by Michelle A.Valentine

Phenomenal X (Hard Knocks #1) by Michelle A. Valentine
Release Date: 2014

Good Girl. Notorious Bad-Boy. One Phenomenal Love.

From the mean streets of Detroit rises the newest superstar of professional wrestling, Xavier Cold, better known as Phenomenal X. His muscular physique makes men cower before him and woman lose their minds with desire.

Anna Cortez is fresh out of college and naive to the harsh realities of the real world. Tired of living under the thumb of her conservative family, she defies them when she accepts a job as the assistant to wrestling’s most notorious bad-boy. Phenomenal X has an animalistic nature that even good girl Anna finds hard to resist.

One night forced to share a bed in a sold-out hotel, lines blur between them and they quickly learn that one lustful night changes everything and neither one of them will ever be the same.

Savor by Monica Murphy

Savor (Billionaire Bachelors Club #3) by Monica Murphy
Release Date: January 21st 2014

New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy concludes her sexy Billionaire Bachelors Club series with a fiery romance that refuses to be left at the office…

Bryn James can’t take much more. Smart, sexy Matthew DeLuca is everything she wants in a man, but he’s also her boss—the youngest, hottest vineyard owner in the Napa Valley—and he doesn’t see her as anything more than his shy assistant. That’s all about to change. Armed with a hot new look and an attitude to match, Bryn is determined to catch Matt’s eye… professionalism be damned.

With his winery’s grand reopening approaching, Matt is trying to stay focused, but Bryn is suddenly making it very difficult. He’s always thought her prim demeanor effortlessly sexy, but Matt can’t deny that her transformation is jaw-dropping …and going to make it very difficult to keep his hands to himself.

But when one thing leads to another and suddenly Matt is stripping Bryn bare, he’ll be faced with the biggest risk of his career—and his heart. Can he convince her—and himself—that this might just be more than a no-strings office affair?

Redesigned Cover!

Red Fox by Karina Halle

Red Fox (Experiment in Terror #2) by Karina Halle

Snippets!!

★ From Abbi Glines’ Facebook, an excerpt from Misbehaving (Sea Breeze #6)!

MISBEHAVING surprise sneak peek:
Momma took a long pull from her cigarette and then put it out in the plate beside her. She was running out of time, because I wasn’t about to let Jason come to the door. I didn’t trust Momma. She would test him and I wasn’t sure he could pass the test.
“He’s your Logan. Girls don’t marry their Logans.”
She was back to talking about him being my Logan again. That made absolutely no sense. I didn’t even know a Logan. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at her. “What are you talking about?”
Momma cocked an eyebrow at me. “Jason Stone is your Logan. He’s wealthy and impressive and handsome. He’s a fairy tale. But don’t get serious. Guard your heart.”
I let out a frustrated sigh and dropped my arms. “Why are you calling him my Logan?” I asked.
“Gilmore Girls, sweetheart. Gilmore Girls. If you had bothered to watch it with me like I asked you several times, you would know what I mean. Hank is your Dean. He wasn’t meant for you either. He was just the first heartbreak you keep going back to. Now you’ve met your Logan.” – an excerpt from Misbehaving by Abbi Glines. Release date December 17, 2013

And another sneak peek from Abbi’s Facebook for Rush Too Far!

 Blaire reached for the suitcase that Grant was holding. “He’s right. I should go. This was a very bad idea,” she said with a hitch in her voice. Grant didn’t let the suitcase go easily. She tugged hard to get it out of his grasp. I could see the unshed tears in her eyes and it tugged at my conscience. Was there something I was missing here? Did she really expect us to open our arms wide for her? – A little Rush Finlay for your Friday afternoon. And YES that is a tiny sneak peek of Rush Too Far coming in May 2014

★ Julie Kagawa has a snippet from The Forever Song (Blood of Eden #3) on her blog! You can read it here.

★ Jeaniene Frost has a hilarious excerpt of Up From the Grave (Night Huntress #7) here. It’s Ian!

★ Karina Halle put up chapter one and a teaser of Ashes to Ashes (Experiment in Terror #8) which you can read here and here.

Other News!!

★  Larissa Ione (author of the Demonica series and The Lords of Deliverance series) is writing a novella! It’s called Azagoth and will be releasing June 10th 2014.

Even in the fathomless depths of the underworld and the bleak chambers of a damaged heart, the bonds of love can heal…or destroy. 

He holds the ability to annihilate souls in the palm of his hand. He commands the respect of the most dangerous of demons and the most powerful of angels. He can seduce and dominate any female he wants with a mere look. But for all Azagoth’s power, he’s bound by shackles of his own making, and only an angel with a secret holds the key to his release.

She’s an angel with the extraordinary ability to travel through time and space. An angel with a tormented past she can’t escape. And when Lilliana is sent to Azagoth’s underworld realm, she finds that her past isn’t all she can’t escape. For the irresistibly sexy fallen angel known as Azagoth is also known as the Grim Reaper, and when he claims a soul, it’s forever…

★  Until You (Fall Away #1.5) by Penelope Douglas was released early! Go get your copy! Amazon

Weekly Recap

Reviewed on the blog this week:

Books to review:

Under Different Stars by Amy A. Bartol The Redhead Plays Her Hand by Alice Clayton Pieces For You by Genna Rulon Secret by Brigid Kemmerer After the End by Amy Plum Quintessentially Q by Pepper Winters

Blog Tours:

Covert Assignment Tour Banner

Nov RDL Tour

Gabriel's Redemption blog tour

Out Of Time Tour Banner

Don’t forget to check out the giveaways listed on the blog on the right!

Upcoming New Releases!!

Blue Lines by Toni Aleo Falling by E.K. Blair Thou Shalt Not by J.J. Rossum These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner Avoiding Temptation by K.A. Linde Reviving Izabel by J.A. Redmerski A Beautiful Wedding by Jamie McGuire The Fine Line by Alicia Kobishop Elect by Rachel Van Dyken Snakeroot by Andrea Cremer Ashes to Ashes by Karina Halle

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Soul Oath by Juliana Haygert

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Soul Oath by Juliana Haygert

Soul Oath (Everlast #2)
by Juliana Haygert
Pub date: Nov/25/2013
Length: ~80,000 words
Cover: Okay Creations
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It’s been three months since Nadine last heard from Victor, Micah or Ceris, allowing her to concentrate on her own life. But until Victor and Micah find the scepters that will restore them as true gods, their human bodies will require her healing touch and it’s only a matter of time until they wreak havoc on her life again.

As if to prove that, Victor shows up at the hospital dragging along with him a swarm of demons. Nadine is forced to flee to safety. Despite her attempts to keep her loved ones protected, the demons find her, and they bring her to Imha, the goddess of Chaos.

Now, confronted by her greatest fear, Nadine finds a new motivation. Vengeance. And when seeking revenge, no risk is too great, including her own life.

**New Adult Fantasy Novel**

Buy Links:
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Links to book one (Destiny Gift)
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Soul Oath Teaser

about the author

Juliana HaygertNew Adult author and contributor at NA Alley blog.

While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.

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