Review: Defending Taylor by Miranda Kenneally

Defending Taylor by Miranda Kenneally
Series: Hundred Oaks #7 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 5th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

There are no mistakes in love.

Captain of the soccer team, president of the Debate Club, contender for valedictorian: Taylor’s always pushed herself to be perfect. After all, that’s what is expected of a senator’s daughter. But one impulsive decision—one lie to cover for her boyfriend—and Taylor’s kicked out of private school. Everything she’s worked so hard for is gone, and now she’s starting over at Hundred Oaks High.

Soccer has always been Taylor’s escape from the pressures of school and family, but it’s hard to fit in and play on a team that used to be her rival. The only person who seems to understand all that she’s going through is her older brother’s best friend, Ezra. Taylor’s had a crush on him for as long as she can remember. But it’s hard to trust after having been betrayed. Will Taylor repeat her past mistakes or can she score a fresh start?

Can I first just say that I am a huge fan of Miranda Kenneally and it’s always inevitable that I end up falling in love with the main male character. Defending Taylor was no different, although the beginning was a bit too slow for my taste. However, the book was definitely nostalgic for me since it took place during the heroine’s senior year of high school as she goes through the process of applying to college.

Taylor is the perfect well-rounded student that all colleges want. She has straight A’s, is the captain of the soccer team, and is the daughter of a politician. Then she messes up and gets expelled. With her dad running a campaign at the same time, news of her expulsion makes a huge impact on his career. Already feeling guilty, Taylor doesn’t want to tell her parents the real cause of her expulsion. In comes Ezra, a total heartthrob, her childhood crush, and also her brother’s best friend, who helps her put her own life and decisions into perspective.

I’m a sucker for books like these, where the main character goes through a period of self-discovery and has no idea what she wants in life because HELLO *points at self*. I loved following Taylor through this journey of hers and literally reading about how she grows and accepts who she really is. When she discovers what she’s passionate about and what she actually wants to major in, I was there screaming “YESSS GIRL.” I had flashbacks of when I was applying to college… although I haven’t figured out the whole “what I want to do in life” part yet.

To be quite honest, I wanted to read this book because it seemed light and fun (like most of Kenneally’s books), so I didn’t think that I would actually learn so much about passion and self-love. I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone who’s going through something similar or if you’re just looking for a light read for the summer.

4 hearts


Reading Order: Hundred Oaks series

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally
Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally 

#1 ~ Catching Jordan: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Stealing Parker: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Things I Can’t Forget: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Racing Savannah: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Breathe, Annie, Breathe: Lacey’s Review • Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Jesse’s Girl: Lacey’s Review • EbookHardcoverPaperback • Goodreads
#7 ~ Defending Taylor: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads


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Blog Tour + Release Day Review & Giveaway: Jesse’s Girl by Miranda Kenneally

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Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for Jesse’s Girl by Miranda Kenneally!

Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally

Jesse’s Girl by Miranda Kenneally
Series: Hundred Oaks #6 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 7th 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
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Practice makes perfect.

Everyone at Hundred Oaks High knows that career mentoring day is a joke. So when Maya said she wanted to be a rock star, she never imagined she’d get to shadow the Jesse Scott, Nashville’s teen idol.

But spending the day with Jesse is far from a dream come true. He’s as gorgeous as his music, but seeing all that he’s accomplished is just a reminder of everything Maya’s lost: her trust, her boyfriend, their band, and any chance to play the music she craves. Not to mention that Jesse’s pushy and opinionated. He made it on his own, and he thinks Maya’s playing back up to other people’s dreams. Does she have what it takes to follow her heart—and go solo?

Purchase:
EbookHardcoverPaperback • B&N • BAM • IndieBound • iTunes

review button

It’s been a while since I’ve read a young adult book, but what better way to go back to the YA contemporary genre than by reading a Miranda Kenneally book? I really enjoyed Jesse’s Girl – it’s a super sweet, fun romance that fans of the series shouldn’t miss.

I loved that Jesse’s Girl is about Maya, Sam Henry’s little sister. We get to see a lot of Sam and Jordan (from Catching Jordan), which I was so happy about, because I adored that book. Maya is a high school senior who is passionate about music. She loves to play the guitar and sing (though she’s more talented at playing the guitar than singing), but when she gets dumped by her band and crush, she’s left feeling devastated. The one thing that makes her feel better is the fact that she’ll be ‘shadowing’ eighteen-year-old country star and heartthrob Jesse Scott, but things don’t go as well as Maya thought it would.

I was so excited about the opportunity to spend time with a famous musician, but Jesse Scott is a certified country-boy ass.

Jesse is rude to Maya, thinking that she’s just another ‘fan’ of his who only wants to use him. After being the in music industry for so long, he’s tired of all the fake people and wants to retire and focus on his family. So Maya is a refreshingly different to Jesse, though he’s still reluctant to mentor someone. He decides to change things up a bit and have a sort of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off kind of day with Maya. And the more time they spend together, the more they get to know each other, and know themselves as well.

The romance developed slowly – Maya and Jesse are both the wary kind of people, but they slowly break down each other’s walls. I liked reading about their adventures, their deep conversations, and how they slowly fell for each other. They both connect so well with music and they bond easily over it.

I felt like Jesse’s Girl was a bit too short – the pages flew by and when I got to the end, I was left wanting for just a little more. It’s a quick, easy read with not much drama, but it was still a lot of fun to read. It’s not my favorite of the Hundred Oaks series (that one would be Breathe, Annie, Breathe) but it was definitely a worthwhile, sweet read about chasing your dreams and falling in love. I highly recommend this for fans of the series!

4 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: Hundred Oaks series

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally
Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally 

#1 ~ Catching Jordan: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Stealing Parker: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Things I Can’t Forget: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Racing Savannah: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Breathe, Annie, Breathe: My Review • Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Jesse’s Girl: EbookHardcoverPaperback • Goodreads
#7 ~ Defending Taylor: Shirley’s Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

about the author button

Miranda KenneallyGrowing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes, and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband.

Website • Goodreads • Facebook • Twitter

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Spotlight + Excerpt & Giveaway: Jesse’s Girl by Miranda Kenneally

In celebration of Miranda’s upcoming new book, Sourcebooks Fire has put together a preorder promotion for Jesse’s Girl, which goes on-sale July 7! Check below on how to be a part of this promo, as well as an excerpt & giveaway!

Everyone who emails teenfire@sourcebooks.com will automatically receive an email of the EXCLUSIVE Jesse’s Girl Playlist, and will be invited to attend a LIVE online author event on July 6, the day before Jesse’s Girl goes on-sale!

In addition, if you preorder the book and send your proof of purchase (and mailing address) to teenfire@sourcebooks.com, you’ll not only get the exclusive playlist and event invite, but you’ll also receive a signed/personalized bookplate, a super-cute custom guitar pick, and entered to win a $300 gift card to TicketMaster so you can go to a concert or musical or some other fun event.

Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally

Jesse’s Girl by Miranda Kenneally
Series: Hundred Oaks #6 (full reading order below)
Publication date: July 7th 2015
Add to Goodreads

Practice makes perfect.

Everyone at Hundred Oaks High knows that career mentoring day is a joke. So when Maya said she wanted to be a rock star, she never imagined she’d get to shadow the Jesse Scott, Nashville’s teen idol.

But spending the day with Jesse is far from a dream come true. He’s as gorgeous as his music, but seeing all that he’s accomplished is just a reminder of everything Maya’s lost: her trust, her boyfriend, their band, and any chance to play the music she craves. Not to mention that Jesse’s pushy and opinionated. He made it on his own, and he thinks Maya’s playing back up to other people’s dreams. Does she have what it takes to follow her heart—and go solo?

Purchase:
EbookHardcoverPaperback • B&N • BAM • IndieBound • iTunes

Now here’s an excerpt from Jesse’s Girl! ❤

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As much as I love music, I am generally not a fan of country. I don’t like banjos. I don’t like sappy lyrics about trucks and hauling hay. Dolly Parton is my mortal enemy—my mom plays “Jolene” over and over and over and over, and it makes me want to chop my ears off like van Gogh. Yeah, yeah, I’m from Tennessee, where it’s a crime if you don’t love country, but I like deep, rumbling beats and singing loud and fast and hard. I do not like closing my eyes and crooning to a cow in the pasture. Yet here I am at a Jesse Scott concert, getting ready to meet him and to see if he’ll let me shadow him next Friday.

My school requires every senior to “shadow” a professional for a day. It’s their way of helping us figure out what kind of career we want. Like, if you want to be president when you grow up, you might get to shadow the mayor. Want to be a chef? Have fun kneading dough at the Donut Palace. When I said “I want to be a musician,” I figured they’d send me to work in the electronics section at Walmart.

I certainly never expected to shadow the king of country music.

It turns out that Jesse Scott is my principal’s nephew. Jesse won TV’s Wannabe Rocker when he was ten and has gone on to become very successful. In sixth grade, every girl in class—myself included—took the Teen Beat quiz: “Would Jesse Scott Like Your Kissing Style?” (Obviously the answer was yes.) In middle school, I had a Jesse Scott poster on my ceiling. It’s hard to believe he’s only eighteen, because he’s already won three Grammys. When he was younger, his songs were about family, fishing, and playing baseball, but lately they’re about love and making love and all things sexy.

I wouldn’t say I’m a fan anymore, but I would never give up an opportunity to learn from a professional with such a gorgeous, pure voice. I want to learn what it’s like to perform day in and day out. Despite what everyone and their mom says—that I’ll struggle as a musician—all I want is to play guitar in front of a crowd and hear people cheer for me.

I can’t believe I’m backstage at the Grand Ole Opry! I bounce on my toes. Jesus, is that an archtop Super 4, the model Elvis played? I’ve never seen one in real life. It probably cost more than my house. I’m ogling the guitar when Jesse Scott comes out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel. He pads across the room to the couch, wearing nothing but a pair of rugged jeans with more holes than Swiss cheese. The lighting is dim, and he doesn’t seem to notice I’m here, which is good, because I’ve moved from ogling the guitar to ogling him.

Who wouldn’t? He was one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People,” and it is a truth universally acknowledged that you should stare at people who’ve made that list. The guy’s gorgeous. Like in the boy-next-door way. His wet, wavy, brown hair curls around his ears and nearly hits his shoulders, and while he doesn’t have a six-pack or anything, his body is fit. I wish he’d look my way so I can see his famous brown eyes. They always remind me of those caramel chews Poppy gives me when I visit. Jesse has some sort of Gaelic symbol tattooed on his left shoulder blade. I want to reach out and trace the design.

God, get ahold of yourself, Maya. Don’t be a horndog. Besides, he’s so not my type. I don’t do pretty boys.

Reading Order: Hundred Oaks series

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally
Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally

#1 ~ Catching Jordan: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Stealing Parker: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Things I Can’t Forget: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Racing Savannah: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#5 ~ Breathe, Annie, Breathe: My Review • Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#6 ~ Jesse’s Girl: EbookHardcoverPaperback • Goodreads (July 7, 2015)

about the author button

Miranda KenneallyGrowing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes, and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband.

Website • Goodreads • Facebook • Twitter

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5 Copies of Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally

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Blog Tour + Early Review & Giveaway: Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally

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Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally

Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally
Series: Hundred Oaks #5 (full reading order below)
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication date: July 15th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can’t escape the guilt that if she hadn’t broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race.

But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.

“Breathe, Annie, Breathe is an emotional, heartfelt, and beautiful story about finding yourself after loss and learning to love. It gave me so many feels. Her best book yet.” — Jennifer Armentrout, New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You.

Purchase:
Amazon Kindle • Amazon Hardcover • B&N • Kobo • iTunes

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Oh, my heart is still fluttering after reading this book! Without a doubt, Breathe, Annie, Breathe is my favorite of the Hundred Oaks series so far. Miranda Kenneally does YA contemporary romance so well, I already knew I would end up enjoying this latest book of series, but I just never expected to love it THIS much!

I was in the perfect mood for reading a sweet, heartfelt story, and Breathe, Annie, Breathe gave me all that and more. It’s a quick read, but it packs powerful emotions within its pages. I felt every emotion Annie felt–I laughed when she laughed, I ached when she ached, and I loved when she loved. This book is about loss, but it’s also about hope. It’s about trying to find your way through life, and Miranda Kenneally does an excellent job of conveying this in Annie’s journey.

A quarter mile more.
One foot after the other.
Breathe, Annie, breathe.

After the loss of her boyfriend and love of her life, Annie signs up for the Music City Marathon. Her boyfriend, Kyle, was training for it until he died, so Annie decides to honor him by running the race for him. She hires a trainer, and every practice is brutal–Annie has to practice running for miles and miles before she’s ever ready for a 26.2 mile marathon. But what I loved best about Annie is that even when she wants to give up, she doesn’t. She keeps on going. And I loved that fact that she hated running–because I can completely relate to that. I am awful at running, but reading about Annie and her perseverance made me want to pick up a pair of jogging shoes and go out running.

Annie is easily relatable–she’s lost her sense of direction in life, and doesn’t know how to move on from Kyle’s death. She’s about to attend college in the fall, but doesn’t know what to do. It’s like she’s going through the motions in her life, but running is the one thing that makes her feel alive. She meets new people, new friends, while training. We see Matt, from Things I Can’t Forget, who is her trainer. And Annie becomes especially close to Matt’s younger brother Jeremiah.

Jeremiah is a total sweetheart. He’s cute, funny, and cheers Annie on throughout the entire book. Jeremiah wholeheartedly believes in Annie and believes that she has what it takes to finish the marathon. He’s also peculiar in that Jeremiah’s an adrenaline junkie–he’s always looking to find a new challenge to feel a rush. I loved how supportive he is of Annie, and I loved the tension between them. Sparks fly between Annie and Jere–they’re so perfect with each other, for each other. Their banter is hilarious and their friendship is rock-solid.

“Aren’t you gonna run up front and try to win?” I ask.
“I’d rather run with you.”
“You want to come in 5,094th place?”
His mouth quirks into a smile. “I don’t care.”
“Jeremiah? You make me happy.”
“You make me happy too,” he says quietly.

I just can’t get enough of these two! They had me smiling for the entire book. They’re absolutely adorable together!

But Annie, understandably, holds back. She loved Kyle, and finding new love is a scary thing. I loved seeing them grow close to each other, to learn to lean on each other. They fall in love slowly, and my heart was bursting for them.

We get cameos of other characters from the other books in the series, which totally made me squeal!

Overall, I had the most wonderful time reading Breathe, Annie, Breathe. I never expected to love a book about running, but I do! I was cheering for Annie the whole way through. I loved seeing her grow, both as a runner and as a person. The whole book is so emotional, and Annie’s journey warmed my heart.

If you don’t put yourself out there, if you don’t take risks, you can’t truly feel.
And I’m ready to feel again.

I was honestly so sad to get to the end of this book–I never wanted it to end!

5 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: Hundred Oaks series

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally
Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally 

#1 ~ Catching Jordan: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Stealing Parker: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Things I Can’t Forget: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Racing Savannah: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Breathe, Annie, Breathe: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Jesse’s Girl: My Review • EbookHardcoverPaperback • Goodreads
#7 ~ Defending Taylor: Shirley’s Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

about the author button

Miranda KenneallyGrowing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes, and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband.

Website • Goodreads • Facebook • Twitter

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2x 50$ B&N Gift Card
3x Signed copy of Breathe, Annie, Breathe

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Book News, Weekly Recap & Upcoming Releases! {18}

Cover Reveals!!

Rusty Nailed by Alice Clayton

Rusty Nailed (Cocktail #2) by Alice Clayton
Release Date: June 24th 2014

In this sequel to Wallbanger, the second book in the Cocktail series, fan favorites Caroline and Simon negotiate the rollercoaster of their new relationship while house-sitting in San Francisco.

Playing house was never so much fun—or so confusing. With her boss on her honeymoon, Caroline’s working crazy long hours to keep the interior design company running—especially since she’s also the lead designer for the renovation of a gorgeous old hotel on Sausalito. So with her hotshot photographer boyfriend gallivanting all over the world for his job, she and Simon are heavy-duty into “absence makes the heart grow fonder” mode. Neither has any complaints about the great reunion sex, though! Then Simon decides he’s tired of so much travelling, and he’s suddenly home more. A lot more. And wanting Caroline home more, too. Though their friends’ romantic lives provide plenty of welcome distraction, eventually Caroline and Simon have to sort their relationship out. Neither wants “out of sight, out of mind,” but can they create their own happy mid-ground cliché?

USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton delivers another delicious, frothy cocktail of a book, shaking up her characters, stirring in laugh-out-loud humor, and serving sizzling romance straight up!

Screwdrivered by Alice Clayton

Screwdrivered (Cocktail #3) by Alice Clayton
Release Date: September 2nd 2014

In the third book in the bestselling Cocktail series, a romantic at heart decides that she will not ever, under any circumstances, fall for the engineer next door.

Viv Franklin is a retired Army captain who now designs software programs. She’s also a romance junkie who longs for a knight in shining armor or a cowboy on a wild stallion or a strapping firefighter to sweep her off her feet. Knowing she’s never going to meet her hero by spending all her time behind her keyboard, she uproots her life to move to California, where she meets an actual cowboy. And—sigh—an engineer. But which man is truly Clark Kent and which is her Superman?

A madcap romantic comedy with unforgettable characters and the promise of true love, Screwdrivered has just what you need.

Twisted by Emma Chase

Twisted (Tangled #2) by Emma Chase
Release Date: March 25th 2014

There are two kinds of people in the world. The ones who look first, and the ones who leap. I’ve always been more of a looker. Cautious. A planner. That changed after I met Drew Evans. He was so persistent. So sure of himself – and of me.

But not all love stories end happily ever after. Did you think Drew and I were going to ride off into the sunset? Join the club. Now I have to make a choice, the most important of my life. Drew already made his –in fact, he tried to decide for the both of us. But you know that’s just not my style. So I came back to Greenville. Alone. Well, sort of alone….

What I’ve come to realize is that old habits die hard and sometimes you have to go back to where you began, before you can move ahead.

TWISTED picks up two years after Tangled’s end, and is told from Kate’s POV.

Tamed by Emma Chase

Tamed (Tangled #3) by Emma Chase
Release Date: May 27th 2014

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: girl meets player, they fall in love, player changes his ways.

It’s a good story. But it’s not our story. Ours is a lot more colorful.

When I met Dee I knew right away that she was special. When she met me, she thought I was anything but special–I was exactly like every other guy who’d screwed her over and let her down. It took some time to convince her otherwise, but turns out I can make a convincing argument when sex is at stake.

You might know where this story’s headed. But the best part isn’t where we ended up.

It’s how we got there.

TAMED goes back in time to the Tangled days. But this time around, it’s not Drew dishing out the advice and opinions – it’s his best friend Matthew, who of course is dealing with Dee Dee.

Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally

Breathe, Annie, Breathe (Hundred Oaks #5) by Miranda Kenneally
Release Date: July 1st 2014

Eighteen-year-old Annie Winters can barely run a mile without wheezing. Still, she’s training to run the Music City Marathon in seven short months. Running is so not her thing, but she has to finish what her boyfriend started… before he died.

Annie feels guilt that she’s still alive and blames herself for his death; she has to do this to honor him – running a marathon was his dream. Plus training gives her something to do, it’s a distraction. So is Jeremiah Brown.

He’s an adrenaline junkie who runs marathons backwards. He flirts with Annie on the trails and it makes her feel alive and happy and guilty all at the same time. She wants to both race into his arms and sprint in the opposite direction – because loving is a risk she’s not sure she’s ready to take again…

Stolen Wishes by Lexi Ryan

Stolen Wishes (New Hope #1.5) by Lexi Ryan
Release Date: January 7th 2014

Cally…

A sexy smile. Intense blue eyes. A goodness that makes him want to save me from these rumors when no one else would care. I didn’t ask for a hero. William Bailey was never supposed to be anything more than a wish, a dream, an unrequited crush. Not for a girl like me–a girl whose fractured family has stolen her chance at a decent life.

William…

Since the death of my parents, I’ve always done what’s expected of me, what’s “best” for me. Until Cally. The moment her haunted eyes meet mine, the fractured pieces of my heart feel whole again. I don’t just want to save her. I need her to save me.

Stolen chances. Unbroken wishes. Two lonely souls grasping for hope in the darkness.

Twisted Together by Pepper Winters

Twisted Together (Monsters in the Dark #3) by Pepper Winters
Release Date: Early 2014

“After battling through hell, I brought my esclave back from the brink of ruin. I sacrificed everything—my heart, my mind, my very desires to bring her back to life. And for a while, I thought it broke me, that I’d never be the same. But slowly the beast is growing bolder, and it’s finally time to show Tess how beautiful the dark can be.”

 

Q gave everything to bring Tess back. In return, he expects nothing less. Tess may have leashed and tamed him, but he’s still a monster inside.

 

Behind His Eyes by Aleatha Romig

Behind His Eyes (Consequences #4) by Aleatha Romig
Release Date: January 14th 2014

BEHIND HIS EYES – CONSEQUENCES is a reading companion, by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig, recommended to be read aftercompleting all of the CONSEQUENCES SERIES: Consequences, Truth, and Convicted. It is not a standalone book and should not be read as such.

This companion was written to explore the thoughts and motivations of Anthony Rawlings, the man behind the consequences. It was not intended as a total rewrite of Consequences, but meant to enhance the reader’s understanding. BHE-Consequences contains significant scenes from the novel Consequences, as experienced from Anthony’s point of view. It also contains never before read, behind the scenes information, as well as, a glossary of the characters and a timeline devoted to the events within Consequences.

BEHIND HIS EYES CONSEQUENCES is a dark journey into the mind of the man who believes that he controls everything and controls nothing. Because there is more to learn about a man who:

Once upon a time, signed a napkin that he knew was a contract. As an esteemed businessman, he forgot one very important rule—he forgot to read the fine print. It wasn’t an acquisition to own another person as he’d previously assumed. It was an agreement to acquire a soul.

—Aleatha Romig CONVICTED

It was a long and painful acquisition—especially from Behind His Eyes!

Seducing Lauren by Kristen Proby

Seducing Lauren (Love Under the Big Sky #2) by Kristen Proby
Release Date: August 19th 2014

In the second book in the Love Under the Big Sky series from this USA TODAY bestselling author of the With Me in Seattle series, life in Montana gets spicy when a woman and her divorce lawyer sign off the papers—and sign on to love.

Now that his best friend, Josh, has happily settled down with his true love on a Montana ranch, small-town lawyer Ty Sullivan starts thinking that maybe single life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And when Lauren Cunningham’s no-good ex-husband comes after her for an unexpected trust fund, Ty steps in to protect her. But soon he can’t help but think of her as more than a client. Lauren’s in no mood to jump into another relationship, so how can Ty convince her that her mistake wasn’t getting married, but marrying the wrong guy?

Perfectly Damaged by E.L. Montes

Perfectly Damaged by E.L. Montes
Release Date: January 20th 2014

Schizoaffective disorder: a mental illness in which a person experiences a combination of mood disorder and schizophrenia symptoms.

I know about this illness—very well—because I suffer from it. It’s been four years since my diagnosis, and ever since, I’ve been living in a dark hole. Voices constantly invading my thoughts. Hallucinations. All of which force me to question if what I’m experiencing is even reality.

But here I am, still hanging on, still breathing and living through it.

That is, until he stumbled into my life. Logan Reed. I don’t want any part of him. I’ve pushed him away, but he isn’t easily deterred. I’ve told him I’m different, but he doesn’t care. He’s trying to slowly break me down. I’m trying just as hard not to let him. He doesn’t know how truly damaged I am; what will happen when he does?

I know the truth—he’ll never be able to look at me the same way again. Just like everybody else.

Forever Ours by Cassia Leo

Forever Ours (Shattered Hearts #0.5) by Cassia Leo
Release Date: April 2014

Forever Ours is the highly anticipated prequel to the New York Times and USA Todaybestselling Shattered Hearts Series. This can be read as a stand alone or beforeRelentless.

Sometimes, it takes more than love to mend a shattered heart.

After eight years of being tossed around from one home to another, never forming any meaningful friendships or bonds with her foster families, Claire’s caseworker gives her an ultimatum: Behave or your next home will be a halfway house.

When fifteen-year-old Claire arrives at the home of Jackie Knight and meets Jackie’s fifteen-year-old son, tattooed guitarist Chris, she fears she’ll be seeing the inside of that halfway house soon. But Chris isn’t like any other guy Claire has ever encountered and he soon gains her trust through his music and unwavering patience.

Claire has finally found her forever home and she and Chris soon find themselves falling in love.

But Chris’s dreams of musical stardom and Claire’s need for a stable home soon put their love in jeopardy. Chris struggles deeply with his plans for the future, entirely reluctant to leave Claire behind; until Claire does something that may break their love — and the only home she’s comes to know — forever.

The Forgotten Girl by Jessica Sorensen

The Forgotten Girl by Jessica Sorensen
Release Date: February 27th 2014

Twenty-three year-old Maddie Asherford is haunted by a past she can’t remember. When she was fifteen years old, there was a tragic accident and she was left with amnesia.

In the aftermath, Maddie’s left struggling with who she is—the forgotten girl she was eight years ago or the Maddie she is now. Sometimes it even feels like she might be two different people completely—the good Maddie and the bad one.

Good Maddie goes to therapy, spends time with her family, and works on healing herself. Bad Maddie rebels and has dark thoughts of hurting people and sometimes even killing them.

Maddie manages to keep her twisted thoughts hidden for the most part. That is until she starts having blackouts. Each time she wakes up from one, she’s near a murder scene with no recollection of what happened the night before and this helpless feeling like she’s losing control of her life. Maddie doesn’t want to believe she’s a killer, but she begins to question who she really was in her past. If she was bad Maddie all along and that maybe she was a killer.

***Stand Alone. Dark Thriller**

Snippets!!

★ Cassandra Clare has a Christmasy snippet from City of Heavenly Fire! You can read it here.

★ OMG! Colleen Hoover put this up as a status update on Goodreads! It’s from Ugly Love!

“Yes, Miles. You’re right. I am. Because I like you and I know you like me and when we’re together, it’s phenomenal, so that’s what normal people do. When they find someone they’re compatible with, they open up to them. They let them in. They want to be with them. They don’t f*@k them against their kitchen table, then walk away and make them feel like complete shit.”

Preorder Ugly Love: Amazon

★ Teasers for Behind His Eyes by Aleatha Romig!

followed your rules

perfect wife

★ A snippet for The Destiny of Violet and Luke (The Coincidence #3) by Jessica Sorensen!

Violet and Luke teaser 4

Other News!!

★ Nalini Singh, one of my favorite authors ever, has deleted scenes from Heart of Obsidian (one of my favorite books of 2013)! You can read them here.

★ EEP!! Darynda Jones has written a Charley Davidson Christmas story called Shimmer! You can read it here, but there will be spoilers for those who haven’t read Fifth Grave Past the Light!

★ Ilona Andrews has a wonderful gift for their readers here!

★ Wendy Higgins has a bonus scene of parts of chapters 17-20 of Sweet Peril in Kai’s POV! Read it here.

★ In the print version of Be with Me (Wait for You #2) by J. Lynn there will be an exclusive never-before-seen scene between Teresa and Jase that won’t exist in the e-book version!

Preorder Be with Me: Amazon | B&N

★ The title of the sequel to Breaking Nova by Jessica Sorensen will be called Saving Quinton!

★ Ugly Love has a release date: August 5, 2014! Preorder on Amazon

★ Breakable by Tammara Webber is up for preorder on Amazon!

★ S.C. Stephens wrote a holiday short in Kellan’s POV (from the Thoughtless series)! Read it here.

★ It’s Søren’s birthday (from The Original Sinners series), so author Tiffany Reisz has a deleted scene from The Saint! Read it here.

★ You can read the prologue of Ofelia by Pepper Winters here!

★ Kristen Ashley news!

The Will, the start of a three-part series called the Magdalene Series, will be released in April 2014. I got to fulfill two bucket list items with this one. One, writing a hero who is a boxer and two, giving into the request of a number of readers and writing a couple that are just a wee bit older. You may think one and two don’t go together but wait until you meet Jake and Josephine. Jake is the…absolute…bomb and Josephine is so damned funny, I haven’t laughed that hard writing a book since Rock Chick Revolution. Can’t wait for you to meet them!

Here’s what else you can look forward to in 2014.

  • Untitled, the continuation of The ‘Burg Series (Frankie and Benny’s story).
  • Another Untitled, the finale of The Three Series will be written after I leave The ‘Burg.

I’m hoping to get at least one more book in by the end of 2014 and I’ll update you what that/those might be when I know what they might be!

Weekly Recap

Reviewed on the blog:

Books to review:

White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout Return to Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia Seeking Her by Cora Carmack A Little Too Hot by Lisa Desrochers Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder Awaken by Nina Lane Fallen Crest Public by Tijan Thou Shalt Not by J.J. Rossum

Blog Tours:

Quintessentially Q Tour Banner

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tour banner under different stars

The Redhead Plays Her Hand banner

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Exquisite Betrayal Tour Banner

Entangled Dec Tour

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

Recent Releases

The Sweetest Game by J. Sterling Broken Dove by Kristen Ashley The Spider by Jennifer Estep Beck by Harper Sloan Needing Her by Molly McAdams With You by Nashoda Rose Torn from You by Nashoda Rose

Upcoming New Releases!! (Last releases of the year!)

Fallen Crest Public by Tijan Return to Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia Finding My Forever by Heidi McLaughlin Music of the Soul by Katie Ashley How To Run With A Naked Werewolf (Naked Werewolf #3) by Molly HarperHow To Run With A Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder Three Broken Promises by Monica Murphy Warrior by Ellen Oh