Top Ten Tuesday {15}: Books On My Winter TBR

top ten tuesday banner

It’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! This week’s theme is…

Top Ten Books On My Winter TBR

There are SO many books on my TBR list, both have and have not released, but here are my top ten!

Sempre Redemption by JM Darhower

1. Sempre: Redemption (Forever Series #2) by J.M. Darhower
Releases December 16th 2013

A Beautiful Wedding by Jamie McGuire

2. A Beautiful Wedding (Beautiful #2.5) by Jamie McGuire

Be With Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout

3. Be With Me (Wait for You #2) by J. Lynn
Releases February 4th 2014

Fracture Me by Tahereh Mafi

4. Fracture Me (Shatter Me #2.5) by Tahereh Mafi
Releases December 17th 2013

The Unidentified Redhead by Alice Clayton The Redhead Revealed by Alice Clayton The Redhead Plays Her Hand by Alice Clayton

5. The Redhead series by Alice Clayton
The Redhead Plays Her Hand releases December 17th 2013

Vendetta by Sienna Lane & Autumn Karr

6. Vendetta by Sienna Lane & Autumn Karr
Releases December 17th 2013

Rule by Jay Crownover Jet by Jay Crownover Rome by jay Crownover

7. The Marked Men series by Jay Crownover
Rome releases January 7th 2014

Addicted to You by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie Ricochet by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie Addicted for Now by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie

8. The Addicted series by Krista & Becca Ritchie

Untitled-1

9. Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill
Releases January 7th 2014

Reaver by Larissa Ione

10. Reaver (Lords of Deliverance #5) by Larissa Ione
Releases December 17th 2013

lacey

Waiting on Wednesday {18}

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Breaking the Spine, is a weekly meme where we showcase upcoming new releases we’re excited to get our hands on!

Be With Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Be with Me (Wait For You #2) by J. Lynn
Publication Date: February 4th 2014

Teresa Hamilton is having a rough year—she’s in love with her big brother’s best friend, but he hasn’t spoken to her since they shared a truly amazing, mind-blowing, change-your-life kiss. She got out of a terrible relationship. And now an injury is threatening to end her dance career for good. It’s time for Plan B – college. And maybe a chance to convince Jase that what they have together is real.

Jase Winstead has a huge secret that he’s not telling anyone. Especially not his best friend’s incredibly beautiful sister. Even though he and Teresa shared the hottest kiss of his life, he knows that his responsibilities must take priority. He certainly doesn’t have time for a relationship. But it doesn’t help that all he can think about kissing the one girl who could ruin everything for him.

As they’re thrown together more and more, Jase and Tess can’t keep denying their feelings for each other. But a familiar danger looms and tragedy strikes. As the campus recovers, the star-crossed couple must decide what they’re willing to risk to be together, and what they’re willing to lose if they’re not…


Okay, so I HAD to choose Be with Me for my WOW pick, because I just got approved on Edelweiss for it!!! You have no idea how much I squealed with I saw I was approved. I love this series so much, and I just adore the older brother’s best friend/best friend’s younger sister trope.

AH! Can’t wait to start this!

lacey

Review: Trust in Me by J. Lynn

Trust in Me by J. Lynn

Trust in Me by J. Lynn
Series: Wait for You #1.5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: October 22nd 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

It’s Wait for You as you’ve never seen it. Trust in Me lets you in on Cam’s side of the #1 New York Times Bestselling story.Cameron Hamilton is used to getting what he wants, especially when it comes to women. But when Avery Morgansten comes crashing into his life – literally – he finally meets the one person who can resist his soulful baby blues. But Cam’s not ready to give up. He can’t get the feisty and intriguing girl out of his head.

Avery has secrets, secrets that keep her from admitting the feelings Cam knows she has for him. Will persistence (and some delicious homemade cookies) help him break down her barriers and gain her trust? Or will he be shut out of Avery’s life, losing his first real shot at the kind of love that lasts forever?

I. LOVE. CAM. I absolutely adored him in Wait for You, and he’s even more perfect in Trust in Me. I mean, come on, a hot guy who bakes?? Be still, my heart. I really liked Wait for You, but I really really liked Trust in Me. It didn’t make me go fangirl crazy (although Cam certainly did), but it was still a heart-warming, entertaining read. I loved reading from Cam’s POV. He’s such a guy, and at the same time, so gosh darn SWEET. I fell even more in love with him after reading his book.

Trust in Me is Wait for You told in Cam’s POV. We get to read all of Cam and Avery’s interactions now from his POV, plus a little extra with Cam’s friends, his family, and more after the end of Wait for You. I didn’t expect to love Cam’s friends, Jase and Ollie, but I did! They added so much good humor to the story, and plus, they’ll be getting their own books soon too. 😉

Cam is such a sweetheart. And he calls Avery sweetheart too! *swoon* I’m pretty sure he’s the only main male character I’ve read who calls the heroine “sweetheart” and it’s just too cute. I swear, my heart melted every time Cam called Avery “sweetheart.” And apparently, ever since Avery came crashing–quite literally–into Cam’s life, he always refers to her as “Shortcake” in his head. GAH the amount of cuteness in this book is off the charts!

“I could stare at you for a lifetime. It would never grow old.”
“Even when I’m old?”
“Even then.”

Cam is a bit of a ladies man. Maybe not as bad as his friend Ollie, but he enjoys spending time with women. Then Avery comes into his life, and he can’t stop thinking about her. He goes out of his way to see her, he bakes her COOKIES, and he wants to know her, he wants her. He doesn’t want other women, and he can’t really explain why he’s so fixated on Avery. So he tries to ask her out. Repeatedly. Again and again, and he is shot down every time. It’s cute and sweet and funny how many times he asks Avery out, and he does it all in good humor. And along the way, Cam and Avery become friends, and they care for each other so much.

Cam can sense pain inside Avery, but she shuts him out. Gradually though, Cam works his way into her heart (and my heart too *sigh*). There’s so much heart in Cam, and when he loves, his heart just overflows. And he falls so hard for Avery. Reading his POV, I kept smiling and giggling, because Cam is just the best. When he falls in love, he gives it everything he’s got. He doesn’t fight what he feels for Avery, and when he finally gets to show her how he feels it’s just… *fans self* You’ll want to read this book, for sure.

“I’m going to marry that girl one day,” I heard myself say.

I could not stop reading Trust in Me. I read it straight through in one sitting. Cam captured and stole my heart–again–and for all I care, he can keep it. He’s protective, sweet, kind, and compassionate, a good guy through and through. Trust in Me was such a wonderful, heartwarming read. I honestly wish that Cam were real. But alas, this gorgeous boy who owns a pet turtle named Raphael is devastatingly not real. *cries* I want a beautiful boy who will bake me things and make me eggs!

4.5 hearts! Highly recommend!
4.5-hearts

lacey

Reading Order: Wait for You series

Wait For You by Jennifer L. Armentrout Trust in Me by J. Lynn Be With Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Stay with Me by J. Lynn Fall With Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout Dream Of You by Jennifer L. Armentrout Forever with You by Jennifer L. Armentrout

#1 ~ Wait for You: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Trust in Me: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Be with Me: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Stay with Me: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Fall with Me: EbookPaperback • Goodreads
#4.5 ~ Dream of You: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (June 23, 2015)
#5 ~ Forever with You: EbookPaperback • Goodreads (Sept. 29, 2015)
#6 ~ Fire in You: Goodreads (2016)

Book News, Weekly Recap & Upcoming Releases! {9}

Cover Reveals!!

★ The third and final book of the Something Strange and Deadly series by Susan Dennard, Strange and Ever After, has a cover!

Strange and Ever After by Susan Dennard

In the conclusion to the trilogy that Publishers Weekly called “a roaring—and addictive—gothic world,” Eleanor Fitt must control her growing power, face her feelings for Daniel, and confront the evil necromancer Marcus…all before it’s too late.

He took her brother, he took her mother, and now, Marcus has taken her good friend Jie. With more determination than ever to bring this sinister man to justice, Eleanor heads to the hot desert streets of nineteenth-century Egypt in hopes of ending this nightmare. But in addition to her increasingly tense relationships with Daniel, Joseph, and her demon, Oliver, Eleanor must also deal with her former friend, Allison, who has curiously entangled herself in Eleanor’s mission.

With the rising dead chomping at her every move and Jie’s life hanging in the balance, Eleanor is convinced that her black magic will see her through to the bitter end. But there will be a price. Though she and the Spirit Hunters have weathered every battle thus far, there will be consequences to suffer this time—the effects of which will be irreversible. And when it’s over, only some will be able to live a strange and ever after.

Susan Dennard will leave readers breathless and forever changed in the concluding pages of this riveting ride.

★ It’s the cover for The Destiny of Violet and Luke by Jessica Sorensen! This is the third book in The Coincidence series.

The Destiny of Violet and Luke by Jessica Sorensen

Luke Price’s life has always been about order, control, and acting tough on the outside. He uses meaningless relationships as a distraction and a way to tune out the twisted memories of his childhood. He secretly wishes that one day he could find that one perfect person, but deep down he doesn’t believe that perfection really exists.

Violet Hayes has had a rough life, surrounded by drugs, neglect, and irresponsible parents. She thought she could escape that kind of life when she went to college, but her past catches up with her. To protect herself from getting hurt, she acts tough and keeps her distance from everyone. But then she meets Luke. The two of them clash, yet they can’t seem to stay away from each other. The more they get to know one another, the more they realize just how similar their lives are, and that maybe the perfection they’ve always been looking for lies in each other.

★ Amy Plum (author of Die for Me) is has a new book coming out May 6th 2014 called After the End! You can read about what she says about her new book here.

After the End by Amy Plum

“She’s searching for answers to her past. They’re hunting her to save their future.”

World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They’ve survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there.

At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life.

When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie.

Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she’s trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past.

★ Here’s the back cover of The Iron Traitor (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #2) by Julie Kagawa! This is another great book from Julie, and you can read my review of it here.

Iron Traitor back copy

In the Fields by Willow Aster has a new cover!

In the Fields by Willow Aster

1971 — In the tiny, backward town of Tulma, Tennessee, optimistic, bookish Caroline Carson unwittingly finds herself in the middle of a forbidden romance. Severely neglected by her family and forced to flee Tulma to protect her secrets, Caroline’s young life comes crashing down around her. She finds refuge in a new town, but the past always has a way of stretching around time and stirring up trouble.

When a new love comes into her life, she has to decide if she can give her heart to someone else, or if she will always be tied to someone she can’t have.

Snippets!!

★ It’s a Wild Child (The Wild Ones #1.5) snippet from M. Leighton!

Wild Child teaser4

★ A Magic Breaks (Kate Daniels #7) snippet from Ilona Andrews’ blog:

“A vampire!” Derek shouted.The window above us and to the left broke. Shards of glass and wood cascaded to the floor.  A vampire fell into the room, its mind a hot spark in front of me.  It landed on all fours, old, gaunt, and inhuman.  A sharp bone crest protruded from its back.  Another one.

The vamp shot forward and stopped.

“I’m still… a Master of the Dead,” Ghastek said from a blanket on the floor.  “Kill it before I lose consciousness.”

★ Abbi Glines put up a teaser for Take A Chance, which is Harlow and Grant’s book! You can read it here. I’m SO excited to read it, because I think they’ll be the best couple yet in the Rosemary Beach series 🙂

★ Another Trust in Me (Wait for You #1.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout teaser from her blog:

I let go as she shook her head and was in the process of heading upstairs to wake up Jase’s lazy ass when Teresa came in the front door.

“Cam!” She let out a high-pitched squeal when she saw me in the foyer and dropped her book bag. The pint-sized terror took one step and launched herself at me.

Laughing, I caught her before she knocked me down. “Well, hello to you.”

“When did you get here?” she asked once I sat her down.

“This morning.”

She smacked my arm. “You should’ve texted me! I would’ve skipped my afternoon classes and come home early.”

“I heard that!” yelled Mom from the kitchen.

Teresa rolled her eyes, and I laughed. Somewhere in the last two years or so, she’d grown up from a gangly child into a stunning young woman. And every time I saw her, I wanted to pull a paper sack over her head. Everywhere she went, guys looked, and they really looked.

She had inherited the dark hair and blue eyes from Dad, but she had Mom’s delicate features. Her beauty and small frame were really misleading, because she had also developed mom’s snappy, quick wit. When she and Mom got going, no one was safe.

“I’m going to skip dance tonight,” she said, tugging the tie from her hair. It seemed to have grown overnight, falling well past her shoulders.

“You don’t have to do that,” I told her. “I’ll be here all weekend.”

“Yeah, but I never get to see you!” She pouted, giving me the look that probably got her a lot of things. “You’re too busy and too cool to hang out with your sister anymore.”

“Exactly,” I said, grinning.

She smacked my arm hard. “Jerk.”

Facing the stairs, I saw Jase come down before Teresa did. He was as quiet as a freaking ninja and he came to a stop at the bottom, his hair damp and clothing unwrinkled. He hadn’t made a sound, but Teresa stiffened in front of me. Her eyes, so like mine, widened a fraction of an inch.

My gaze narrowed on her.

Teresa whipped around with the elegance of a dancer, and I cringed when she shrieked, “Jase!”

The pensive look that had been on Jase’s face from the moment I picked him up vanished like a bad nightmare. He came down on the landing a second before my sister threw herself at the guy, greeting him in the same way she’d done with me. His eyes were only on her, and while I completely trusted Jase, even he wasn’t immune to her.

I also didn’t like it when he wrapped his arms around her, keeping them both from tumbling backward.

“Cam didn’t tell me you were here!” she cried, clinging to him like a little monkey. “You’re staying here the whole weekend, too?”

Jase smiled down at the top of Teresa’s head—the head that was currently plastered against his chest. “Yeah, I’m here until Cam heads back.”

I knew in that exact moment, Teresa would be bowing out on dance not only tonight, but also the rest of the weekend. I sighed.

Teresa said something that only Jase could hear and his smile spread in a way that had me taking deep, even breaths. Then he looked up, his gaze meeting mine. He shot me a helpless look, and I rolled my eyes, strolling forward.

“Okay.” I grabbed her arms, physically lifting her away from Jase. “I think you can let him go now. He probably wants to breathe at some point.”

Jase laughed as Teresa shot me a look that promised death and dismemberment and yanked her arms free. I stepped back, just in case she was going to try to hit me again. My sister had muscles.

★ REAL by Katy Evans fans! Are you excited for the release of MINE? You can read some excerpts of it here and here!

★ Samantha Towle has a teaser on her blog of her upcoming new adult book, Trouble!

“Men you knew, Mia,” he says. “Not me. And surprisingly, I can compromise. Not all the time, so don’t go getting used to it.” He grins. “But I just don’t want to spend the next however long disagreeing with you over this when I know I’m gonna end up giving into you anyway.”

“Because?”

Taking a step back, his arms fold over his broad chest. “Because you’re a hard girl to say no to.”

Oh. Okay then.

I suddenly feel lightheaded.

And light-hearted.

“So are you going to take this win and get back in the car?” He sweeps a hand in the direction of the Mustang. “Or are you going to stand here all day chewing over it?”

I bite the smile that’s forcing its way onto my lips. “Well, I’m not one to gloat.” I throw him a smug grin as I walk past him, destination Mustang.

He’s quiet behind me. I only know he’s following from the crunch of the gravel under his feet.

“Did you know you swing your ass when you walk?”

What?

I stop, shocked that he’s just said that about my ass. And also a little turned on hearing him talk about my ass.

Turned on. Again.

Jesus.

I didn’t actually know that I swing my ass when I walk, but that’s beside the point. I scowl at him over my shoulder. “And your point is?”

“No point. Just an observation.” He holds his hands up in surrender, and his eyes crinkle from the smile on his face. “It’s kinda cute is all.”

“Cute?” I frown, ignoring the pull I feel for him in my lower half. “I’m not cute.”

“I never said you were cute. I said your ass-swinging was cute.”

★ Plus, a teaser from Jessica Sorensen for The Temptation of Lila and Ethan (The Secret #3).

Lila and Ethan teaser3

Other News!!

Finding Cinderella (Hopeless #2.5) by Colleen Hoover is FREE and LIVE NOW! Read my review of it here. It’s absolutely beautiful, and if you haven’t read it yet, YOU SHOULD RIGHT NOW!

★ CALLING ALL COLLEEN HOOVER FANS! If you HAVE read Finding Cinderella, do you wish there could be more Daniel and Six? Well, Colleen said she MIGHT write more, but only if Atria Indie Authors can get 15,000 likes by Monday. So go and like!!

From Colleen’s Facebook:

WANT MORE????
I can honestly say I’ve never been this flooded with requests for more story as I have been for Daniel and Six. And honestly, it was so much fun writing them. So…I have a deal I’d like to make with you.
Because I love Atria so much and they were so awesome to publish FINDING CINDERELLA for free, I’d like to show them the support they deserve. If we can get their page to 15,000 likes before this tour kicks off on Monday, I’ll give you more Daniel and Six later in 2014. Can’t say how much I’ll promise, because until I get to them again I don’t really know if their story will call for a few free chapters or another novella or a whole book. So if you want more Daniel and Six (With some Sky and Holder) in whatever form I can get it to you, go here and like Atria Indie Authors. Then tell your friends to like it. And your enemies. And share this status.

Here’s the post she wrote, and you can like Atria Indie Authors here!

★ So Katy Evans (author of Real) was working on writing the sequel Raw, but had to change the series order, and here’s what she said:

Dear Readers,

Melanie’s hero, in RAW, turned out a very jealous alpha who did not appreciate the love triangle I had set up for his and Melanie’s book – at all. He wants a redo. Therefore, while I have no choice but to succumb to his wishes (he’s a handful, alright), Gallery Books and I have switched the dates so that RIPPED releases after REMY, and I have time to work on RAW – which will close the series in the Underground, with a sexy as hell financier who makes all the fights happen, and Melanie – who’s a little more than he bargained for when she goes visit Brooke and Remy. I can’t wait to share both RIPPED and RAW with you!!! I am as in love with both of these stories as I am with all 3 of THE Brooke and Remy ones. I love sharing this series with you!

Love,

Katy

Castle Hill (On Dublin Street #2.5) by Samantha Young has a blurb!

Castle Hill by Samantha Young

Braden Carmichael never imagined he’d fall as hard and as fast as he did for Jocelyn Butler. He also could not have anticipated how difficult it would be to convince her to give in to love. But now that he has her, he’s never letting go. He’s got it all planned—the passionate proposal, the dream wedding, the sexy Hawaiian honeymoon—even the perfect family they’ll start.

After trying to flee from her painful past, Joss is finally allowing herself to embrace the future. But when things start moving faster than she anticipated, she finds herself panicking over something Braden can’t understand. After everything they’ve been through, Joss is sure that their love can survive even her worst fears. But, this time, she may push Braden too far—and risk losing everything all over again…

★ Jessica Sorensen is writing a new book! It’s called Forget Me Not and comes out in 2014.

Forget Me Not by Jessica Sorensen

***Official blurb coming soon***
***Coming in 2014, a dark thriller***

My name is London Asherford. I know what I look like. I know what I’m supposed to do everyday. Just like I know where I live and who my family is. What I don’t know is who I am. I lost my memories and my identity five years ago and I can’t remember anything before that.
Sometimes I wish I could. Remember who I used to be. What I liked. What I didn’t like.

But sometimes I’m glad I can’t remember. Especially late at night when I’m lost in my dreams because it feels like I might have done something terrible. Like hurt somebody.

Or maybe even taken a life.

★ Nalini Singh fans! She has a new story up on her blog called Christmas in the Kitchen, and you can read it here! It’s an adorable short story about the DarkRiver leopards, and takes place before Bonds of Justice.

Weekly Recap

Reviewed on the blog this week:

Posts on the blog:

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

Cover Reveals on the blog:

Upcoming New Releases:

Allegiant by Veronica Roth The Temptation of Lila and Ethan by Jessica Sorensen Trust in Me by J. Lynn Wild Child by M. Leighton Making Faces by Amy Harmon Off Chance by Sawyer Bennett Theirs to Keep by Maya Banks Running in Place by L.B. Simmons Black and Blue by Gena Showalter

Book News, Weekly Recap & Upcoming Releases! {6}

★ Abbi Glines news! Here’s what she said about her upcoming books:

– Y’all have questions… so here are some answers

– YES Tripp is getting two books next year. I didn’t add Bethy’s POV for fun. There was a reason.

– Woods and Della will be in other books just like Rush and Blaire still show up. I can’t wrap their story up yet because it isn’t over. After I’ve written all the characters of Rosemary a book that I intend to write and it is complete I will give you all a novella wrapping everything up tight. I promise. But right now… the story continues with more couples.

– Grant and Harlow will be getting their first book in February. I’ve already written it. So that is coming. I promise.

– Thanks for reading Simple Perfection! Y’all have made its release day amazing.

Rosemary Beach series:

Too Far series (Blair and Rush):
★ Fallen Too Far (#1)
★ Never Too Far (#2)
★ Forever Too Far (#3)

Perfection series (Della and Woods):
★ Twisted Perfection (#1)
★ Simple Perfection (#2)

Chance series (Harlow and Grant):
★ Take A Chance (#1)
★ This One Chance (#2)

★ The Temptation of Lila and Ethan (The Secret #3) teaser! Read it on Jessica Sorensen’s blog here!

Here is a list of her series reading orders and release dates:

The Coincidence Series:
★ The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden (#1)
★ The Redemption of Callie and Kayden (#2)
★ The Destiny of Violet and Luke (#3) Releases Jan. 7, 2014
★ The Resolution of Callie and Kayden (#4) Release date TBD

The Destiny of Violet and Luke by Jessica Sorensen

The Secret series:
★ The Secret of Ella and Micha (#1)
★ The Forever of Ella and Micha (#2)
★ The Temptation of Lila and Ethan (#3) Releases Oct. 22, 2013
★ The Ever After of Ella and Micha (#3.5) Releases Dec 3, 2013

The Ever After of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen

Breaking Nova series:
★ Breaking Nova (#1) My review
★ Title TBD (#2) Releases Feb. 4, 2014
★ Title TBD (#3) Releases March 25, 2014

★ There’s a blurb for Samantha Towle’s upcoming NA book, Trouble! Release date: 2013 (tba).

Trouble by Samantha Towle

Mia Monroe is running. Running from a person she doesn’t ever want to find her. Running from a past she doesn’t ever want anyone to know. Desperate to find a future, that yesterday, she could only dream of having.Jordan Matthews likes easy. Easy women. Easy life.

Then he meets Mia.

She’s damaged, troubled and has more baggage than any person can carry. But the more Jordan gets to know Mia-for the first time in his life-he finds himself wanting to try hard for something… for someone… for her.

And then life isn’t so easy anymore.

Jordan is everything Mia shouldn’t want. A whole bunch of dirty hotness, tattooed, cocky bad boy, who made his money at poker tables and picked his women up in bars. Yet, Mia finds herself falling for him. Then the past Mia was running from, quickly starts to catch up with her. Because that’s the problem with running… you have to stop sometime.

And when you stop, you get caught.

★ If you’re a HUGE fan of Sarah Rees Brennan’s The Lynburn Legacy series (like me!!) then you have to read a new free short story called The Night After I Lost You! You can read it here.

The Night After I Lost You by Sarah Rees Brennan

★ Teaser for Trust in Me (Wait for You #1.5) by J. Lynn/Jennifer L. Armentrout!

Sharp need punched right through me as her body slid down my front. My hands tightened on her hips and she tipped her head back. Her eyes darkened to a deep chocolate brown, and my brain clicked off as I somehow tugged her closer. I knew she had to feel my arousal, and considering we hadn’t even kissed, something about that seemed wrong, but I couldn’t let her go.Her hands pressed against my chest, and I thought she was going to push me away, and swore to God right then and there, no matter how hard it would be, I would let her go if she did.

But she didn’t.

Avery’s hands flattened against my chest, above my pounding heart, and she had to have felt it.

My hand moved on its own accord, curving up her waist and then over her arm, to her throat and then her cheek. She gasped when my fingertips grazed her cheeks, catching the hair stuck to her temples. I tucked the strands back behind her ears, my hand lingering.

“You’re soaked.”

“So are you.”

I smoothed my thumb over the slant of her cheek. “I guess we’re going to have to try this another night.”

“Yeah,” she whispered as her eyes flickered shut and then swept back open.

“Maybe we should’ve checked the weather first.” When she smiled, I shifted my hips in response. Her body shuddered in such a mind-blowing way and her lashes lowered. Her lips parted even further, and I didn’t want to let her go. She felt too good this close.

Her chest rose in short, deep breaths as I lowered my head, wanting and needing to kiss her. Just once. That’s all I wanted. My eyes started to drift closed.

Avery suddenly jerked back, pressing a hand between her breasts. “I think we … we should call it a night.”

For a moment I couldn’t move and then leaned back, tipping my head against the wall. It took a couple of moments before I could speak. “Yeah, we should.”

The trip out of the building and back to the apartment wasn’t easy. I was still strung tight as a bow. Nothing seemed to make the raw edge go away. I tried reciting the alphabet backwards, tried thinking about the old lady who lived in the building nearby, who sometimes walked her dog in a white nightgown. The sight was not pretty, but it still didn’t work.

The rain was still coming down as we dashed across the parking lot and under the awning. I shook my head, spraying water everywhere. Avery stopped at the base of the stairwell leading up to our apartments, and I thought it was all the rain I’d just pelted her with. I opened my mouth to apologize, but she turned sideways, her face pale as she peered up at me.

A very different kind of ache sliced through my chest, stirring up that knot in there, at the stark confusion and fear in her eyes. Fear. I didn’t get it. Had I done that to her? No. I couldn’t believe that. Not the way she had reacted to me. I saw it in her eyes. She had wanted me to kiss her, probably even as badly as I wanted to kiss her, but she had pulled away because … I honestly didn’t know.

I thrust my hand through my hair, pulling it off my forehead. “Go out with me.”

“No,” she whispered.

I grinned slightly, and her chest fell, her shoulders relaxed, as if she needed to hear this. “There’s always tomorrow.”

She followed me up the stairs. “Tomorrow’s not going to change anything.”

“We’ll see.”

“There’s nothing to see. You’re wasting your time.”

“When it concerns you, it’s never a waste of my time.”

And that was the damn truth.

★ New cover reveals:

Be With Me (Wait for You #2) by J. Lynn/Jennifer L. Armentrout

Be With Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Teresa Hamilton is having a rough year—she’s in love with her big brother’s best friend, but he hasn’t spoken to her since they shared a truly amazing, mind-blowing, change-your-life kiss. She got out of a terrible relationship. And now an injury is threatening to end her dance career for good. It’s time for Plan B – college. And maybe a chance to convince Jase that what they have together is real.

Jase Winstead has a huge secret that he’s not telling anyone. Especially not his best friend’s incredibly beautiful sister. Even though he and Teresa shared the hottest kiss of his life, he knows that his responsibilities must take priority. He certainly doesn’t have time for a relationship. But it doesn’t help that all he can think about kissing the one girl who could ruin everything for him.

As they’re thrown together more and more, Jase and Tess can’t keep denying their feelings for each other. But a familiar danger looms and tragedy strikes. As the campus recovers, the star-crossed couple must decide what they’re willing to risk to be together, and what they’re willing to lose if they’re not…

City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6) by Cassandra Clare (Not the final cover, just the placeholder.)

City of Heavenly Fire cover

ERCHOMAI, SEBASTIAN HAD SAID.

I am coming.

Darkness returns to the Shadowhunter world. As their society falls apart around them, Clary, Jace, Simon and their friends must band together to fight the greatest evil the Nephilim have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Nothing in the world can defeat him — must they journey to another world to find the chance? Lives will be lost, love sacrificed, and the whole world changed in the sixth and last installment of the Mortal Instruments series!

★ In celebration of 20,000 likes on Facebook, Kristen Ashley has given us a little extra from the Rock Chick series! Read Rock Chick Redux here.

★ Movie news! Tracey Garvis-Graves’s On the Island has been optioned by MGM! Read the article about it here!

★ Colleen Hoover has a teaser for Finding Cinderella, which is Daniel’s (Holder’s best friend in Losing Hope) novella! Read it on her Facebook here.

★ Larissa Ione (whose books I ADORE) is writing a new book, well, novella, titled Azagoth! The ebook has no release date yet, but she said it would be around “late spring/early summer.” But in the meantime, look forward to Reaver (Lords of Deliverance #5) which releases Dec. 17, 2013!

★ The first chapter of Bold Tricks (The Artists Trilogy #3) by Karina Halle is up on her blog! Read it here!

★ The first chapter of Torn (Connections #2) by Kim Karr can be read here!

★ You can now read the first FIVE chapters of Finding It (Losing It #3) by Cora Carmack here!

Finding it by Cora Carmack

Sometimes you have to lose yourself to find where you truly belong…

Most girls would kill to spend months traveling around Europe after college graduation with no responsibility, no parents, and no-limit credit cards. Kelsey Summers is no exception. She’s having the time of her life . . . or that’s what she keeps telling herself.

It’s a lonely business trying to find out who you are, especially when you’re afraid you won’t like what you discover. No amount of drinking or dancing can chase away Kelsey’s loneliness, but maybe Jackson Hunt can. After a few chance meetings, he convinces her to take a journey of adventure instead of alcohol. With each new city and experience, Kelsey’s mind becomes a little clearer and her heart a little less hers. Jackson helps her unravel her own dreams and desires. But the more she learns about herself, the more Kelsey realizes how little she knows about Jackson.

★ Josephine Angelini (author of the Starcrossed series) is writing a new series called Crucible!

★ Oh my goodness! Jeaniene Frost, author of the amazing Night Huntress series, is writing a new series, tentatively called the Realmwalker series. The first book in this new adult series is called The Beautiful Ashes and will be released September 2014.

★ Marissa Meyer also has a new book deal! It’s called Heartless and will be released in the fall of 2015 (which is after Winter releases!).

A prequel to “Alice in Wonderland,” HEARTLESS will tell the tale of how a marquis’s teenage daughter became the infamous Queen of Hearts. It will be a story of whimsy and madness, passion and tragedy, ravens and writing desks.

You can read all about her new book on her blog here.

Reviews this week (I didn’t have time to read much this week 😦 ):

Make sure to check out the giveaways on the right sidebar!

Cover reveals this week:

Wild Child by M. Leighton

This past week’s events:

Upcoming new releases:

How to Love by Katie Cotugno Kami Garcia/Unbreakable Red Hill by Jamie McGuire Eat, Brains, Love by Jeff Hart Drawn Together by Lauren Dane Darkness Fades by Jessica Sorensen Found in You by Laurelin Paige Carter Reed by Tijan Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles Torn by Kim Karr Possession by J.R. Ward Wicked and Dangerous by Shayla Black Beautiful Illusion by Jacquie Underdown My Lady Quicksilver by Bec McMaster The Wager by Rachel Van Dyken