Tag Archives: standalone

Audiobook Review: The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

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The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
Series: Standalone
Audiobook Publication Date: May 3rd 2016
Length: 16 hours and 43 minutes
Narrated by: Bailey Carr
Links: Audible • Ebook • Hardcover • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

From Morgan Matson, the bestselling author of Since You’ve Been Gone comes a feel-good story of friendship, finding yourself, and all the joys in life that happen while you’re busy making other plans.

Andie has a plan. And she always sticks to her plan.

Future? A top-tier medical school.
Dad? Avoid him as much as possible (which isn’t that hard considering he’s a Congressman and he’s never around).
Friends? Palmer, Bri, and Toby—pretty much the most awesome people on the planet, who needs anyone else?
Relationships? No one’s worth more than three weeks.

So it’s no surprise that Andie’s got her summer all planned out too.

Until a political scandal costs Andie her summer pre-med internship, and lands both she and Dad back in the same house together for the first time in years. Suddenly she’s doing things that aren’t Andie at all—working as a dog walker, doing an epic scavenger hunt with her dad, and maybe, just maybe, letting the super cute Clark get closer than she expected. Palmer, Bri, and Toby tell her to embrace all the chaos, but can she really let go of her control?

It’s been too long since the last time I read something by Morgan Matson, which is a shame because I love her books! She writes the best YA contemporaries that feel so relatable and fun. The Unexpected Everything is seriously the PERFECT summer read/listen – I listened to the audiobook and absolutely adored it. It’s got cute, quirky characters, great writing, and DOGS. Dogs! I’m a dog person through and through, so listening to this audiobook was a blast. If you love the author or this genre, I highly recommend you pick up this audiobook to listen!

As the daughter of a politician, Andie’s used to her life being dictated by her father’s campaigns, but this summer, she’s ready to follow through with her plans and just have the best possible summer ever. But when a scandal causes her to lose her internship and ruin her plans, she’s desperate for something to do that will take her out of the house and away from her distant father. And she’s desperate enough to accept a dog walking ad that she sees as beneath her – but in between a humbling job, new and old friends, and a growing romance, Andie just might end up having a better summer that she could’ve possibly planned or expected.

Morgan Matson did a wonderful job portraying the various relationships Andie has with her father, her friends, and her love interest Clark. She has a difficult relationship with her father, who hasn’t been around since her mother died and he started campaigning. We delve deep into Andie’s hurt over his abandonment and neglect, which made it was so sweet to see this father-daughter relationship slowly grow into something stronger and healthier. Andie and her best friends are typical teenage girls trying to live the summer to its fullest, but secrets and jealousy get in the way and causes strains in their friendships. Not all friendships are smooth and easy, and neither can all friendships overcome their struggles. I thought the author was able to write this realistically, and even though it sometimes felt a little dramatic, I got that it was supposed to be dramatic for these characters.

Clark is probably my favorite character. He’s one of the most unique YA heroes I’ve come across, because he’s actually a well-known fantasy author who’s struggling with writer’s block! He’s adorable, awkward, and introverted – the perfect beta-male hero. I loved the dynamics of his and Andie’s relationship – mostly because of how terrible it starts, but gradually becomes something lovely and steady. In the midst of Andie’s life becoming a mess, Clark provides her comfort and stability (and some sweet kisses). Overall, I loved what an adorable couple they made!

Bailey Carr is a narrator with a great voice – but her narration is SO. SLOW. I’ve been listening to audiobooks for a while now, but this is honestly the first time I’ve had to speed the playing up at all. At 1.25x, it sounded as if it was a normal narration at 1x, so if you choose to get this audiobook, I highly recommend you speed up the narration. Otherwise, she did a fantastic job with portraying Andie’s voice and all the different dialogues.

The Unexpected Everything is the perfect book to experience during the summer. It’s light-hearted but meaningful, realistic, and easy to relate to. The changing dynamics of different friendships and relationships, coming across new experiences, going out of your comfort zone – all of it you can easily connect with. I’d say this is another winner from Morgan Matson!

4 hearts
lacey

Here’s an audio excerpt from The Unexpected Everything!

Also by Morgan Matson

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Second Chance Summer: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Since You’ve Been Gone: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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Early Review: Frozen by L.A. Casey

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Frozen by L.A. Casey
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: April 19th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

There’s one must-have toy this Christmas, and Neala Clarke has told her niece Charli she’ll get it for her. Never mind that she’s got less than a week and it looks like everywhere is sold out. She’s promised Charli a Fire Princess doll—and Neala is a woman of her word.

Darcy Hart is a people-pleaser. So when his adorable six-year-old nephew, Dustin, asks for a particular doll at the last minute, he says yes. Luckily for Darcy, there’s one left in stock at the local toy store. Unluckily for Darcy, he’s not the only person who wants it—and his rival is the one woman who’s immune to his charms.

Neala and Darcy have loved to hate each other since they were kids, and they’re both willing to do whatever it takes to get that doll. This can’t possibly end well for both of them…can it?

Frozen is a Christmas-themed standalone from L.A. Casey, and it’s a quick, humorous read for those who want to enjoy something light-hearted and fun. I didn’t particularly love it, but I can’t say it wasn’t entertaining. The antics Neala and Darcy get up to are hilarious – you definitely won’t be able to get through this book without cracking up a bit!

Neala and Darcy used to be childhood friends… until they weren’t. Now, fifteen years after they declared themselves enemies, these two are just as toxic and have never ceased their arguments. They have some wicked banter and lots of bickering, so much that sometimes their families, who are friends, become involved. This Christmas, Neala and Darcy are fighting over a toy that they want to give to their niece and nephew (respectively) – except there’s only one toy left in the store.

What ensues is a hilarious, over-the-top fight, basically a tug-of-war for the toy. It’s ridiculous and funny and seriously entertaining to read. Then, when Neala and Darcy are snowed in, they have to confront the feelings that that been brewing since they first met and are now finally being let out.

I didn’t care for Darcy much – he’s a clichéd player who messes up with Neala – but I adored Neala. I loved how she never gives in to Darcy and can hold her own against him. She’s strong and independent, and just a fantastic heroine. But put her and Darcy in the same room together, and it gets explosive between them, both verbally and physically.

Frozen is funny and over-the-top – it’s a great read to pass the time. This would be the perfect holiday read, so if you have the patience to wait a few more months to read this book, go for it!

3 hearts
lacey

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Audio Tour + Review & Giveaway: Sincerely, Carter by Whitney G.

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

Sincerely, Carter tour

Welcome to today’s stop on the audio tour for Sincerely, Carter by Whitney G.!

Sincerely, Carter by Whitney Gracia Williams

Sincerely, Carter by Whitney G.
Series: Standalone
Audio Publication Date: December 1st 2016
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Just friends. We’re just friends. No, really. She’s just my best friend….

Arizona Turner has been my best friend since fourth grade, even when we hated each other. We’ve been there for one another through first kisses and first times, and we’ve been each other’s constant when good relationships turned bad. (We even went to colleges that were minutes away from each other.) Throughout the years, and despite what anyone says, we’ve never crossed the line. Never thought about it. Never wanted to…until one night changed everything. At least, it should’ve….

Just friends. We’re just friends. I’m only saying this until I figure out if she’s still just my best friend….

Buy Links:
Audible • Amazon • B&N • Kobo • iTunes

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I absolutely adore audiobooks, so when I heard Sincerely, Carter was going to be made into one, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it! I liked reading this friends-to-lovers book, and I enjoyed it even more listening to it as an audiobook. If you’re a fan of sweet and sexy friends-to-lovers romances, I highly recommend giving this one a try!

Arizona and Carter have been best friends since fourth grade, even when they hated each other – and they’ve never crossed the friendship line into something more. Everyone they know always questions whether or not they’re actually “just friends,” but Ari and Carter have honestly never thought about each other in THAT way… that is, until they do. One moment, they’re the best of friends, and the next, they can’t stop thinking about the other person, what they’re like naked… in bed. I love that it completely baffles them that they feel an intense attraction towards one another. Lines are crossed and hearts are on the line and they soon come to realize that the best thing that ever happened to them has been standing right in front of them all along.

I really enjoyed the narrators, Jennifer O’Donnell and Joseph Discher, for Ari and Carter. They voiced the sweetness of the story and the witty banter between the characters well, and I’d definitely listen to another of their narrations. The Sincerely, Carter audiobook is all-around a great listen – the story is adorably sweet and the narration was spot-on. It’s a heartwarming, humorous friends-to-lovers romance that fans of the trope are sure to enjoy.

4 hearts
lacey

about the author button

A self diagnosed candy addict, travel junkie, and hypochondriac, Whitney Gracia Williams LOVES to write about characters that make you laugh, cry, and want to (in the case of Claire Gracen) reach through your Kindle and slap them.

She is the New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of Reasonable Doubt,the Mid Life Love Series, the Jilted Bride Series, the My Last Resolution Series, Wasted Love, and Captain of My Soul.

When she’s not locked inside her room, feverishly typing away on her laptop.

Website • Amazon Page • Facebook • Twitter • Pinterest • Google+ • Newsletter

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(2) $25 Amazon Gift Cards
Audiobook of Sincerely, Carter
Paperback of Sincerely, Carter

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Release Day Review: Dark Notes by Pam Godwin

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Dark Notes by Pam Godwin
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: April 5th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

They call me a slut. Maybe I am.
Sometimes I do things I despise.
Sometimes men take without asking.

But I have a musical gift, only a year left of high school, and a plan.
With one obstacle.

Emeric Marceaux doesn’t just take.
He seizes my will power and bangs it like a dark note.
When he commands me to play, I want to give him everything.
I kneel for his punishments, tremble for his touch, and risk it all for our stolen moments.

He’s my obsession, my master, my music.
And my teacher.

Dark Notes is hot, hot, HOT!!!! I haven’t read a GOOD erotic romance in ages, but Dark Notes totally satisfied the craving for me. Pam Godwin knows how to write steam, and she does it SO well in this book. Plus, it’s a forbidden romance, which only makes everything hotter. I was absolutely taken away with Ivory and Emeric’s forbidden love – I couldn’t put this book down! It’s an addicting, dark, captivating read that I highly recommend. If you love teacher/student romances, Dark Notes is a must read.

It’s universally known that the more forbidden something is, the more desirable it becomes. I feel this truth like a fist around my balls as I enter my classroom after lunch and find the forbidden object of my desire waiting for me.

Ivory Westbrook is a highly gifted pianist and prodigy, and though she lives in poverty, she attends one of the most elite performing arts schools in order to hone her skill and one day escape from the cruelty and abuse she experiences at home. My heart felt for Ivory and the things she’s had to do to survive not just at home, but also at such a cutthroat school. But I also admired her strength, the way she fights for what she wants, and her tenacity. She’s almost on her way out and up to the top when the music teacher who would’ve recommended her to her dream university gets replaced… by a dark, dominating, compelling man she can’t stop thinking about.

Emeric Marceaux is an intimidating character. He’s an intense alpha used to getting what he wants – but what if what he wants is forbidden to him? Ivory fascinates him, and her heart-wrenching life only brings out the protective, possessive instincts in him. He wants her, but he also wants to give her the care and affection she’s never had in her life. Emeric is dark and dangerous, and as Ivory’s teacher and ten years her senior, I worried that he would have all the power. But it’s clear that he’s just as captivated and enthralled by her as she is by him.

She’s exactly the kind of woman I’m drawn to. A woman who flees when hunted and comes alive when she’s caught. A woman who bends beneath the punishments and seeks acceptance in her humiliation. A woman who bites at the heavy hand, only to melt around the unforgiving grip when it cuts her air.

Told in dual POV, Dark Notes weaves a fascinating, erotic tale of forbidden love between two characters who are utterly meant for each other but aren’t supposed to be together. Outside forces threaten to tear them apart, but Ivory and Emeric won’t let anything get in the way of a love that’s meant to be. I was at the edge of my seat the whole time reading, biting my nails while waiting to see how their relationship would work out. The flawless writing only made the entire reading experience better. If you love deliciously hot forbidden romances, I can’t recommend Dark Notes enough.

The tempo of our breaths. The drum of our heartbeats. The crackle in the air.
The exquisite cadence pulses through me, awakening sensations I’ve never felt, composing a melody I’ve never heard of.
Our hypnotic, dark notes.
This is so much more than punishment or forbidden pleasure.
She could never be a mistake.

4 hearts
lacey

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

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ARC Review: Unseen Messages by Pepper Winters

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Unseen Messages by Pepper Winters
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: March 30th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

“There is a message for everything. From handwritten to verbal, seen and unseen. Messages exist all around us.”

But what if you don’t see?
What if you don’t understand?
What if, by ignoring the message, your life is never the same again?

Estelle Evermore morphed from nobody to somebody overnight.
Galloway Oak put his past behind him and endeavoured to make his fortune using his trade.

Two strangers.
One plane.
Multiple unseen messages.

From sky to island, they find neither fame nor skills can save them. Stripped from society and left alone to survive the elements, the very task of staying alive outweighs all other needs.

Until survival turns to desire.
And desire turns to danger.

From New York Times Bestseller Pepper Winters comes a timeless love story answering the question of what happens when everything is stripped away.

Life offers everyone messages.
Either unnoticeable or obvious, it’s up to us to pay attention.
I didn’t pay attention.
Instinct tried to take notice; the world tried to prevent my downfall.
I didn’t listen.

Wow!!! Unseen Messages is nothing like I’ve ever read. It was truly an experience to read Estelle and Galloway’s epic and gorgeously romantic story. I’ve always loved Pepper Winters’ writing, but she pretty much blew me away with her storytelling in Unseen Messages. It’s a grand tale about survival and love, about family and home, and discovering who you really are when everything superficial is stripped away. If you’re looking for a truly unique, stunningly-written romance, I highly recommend Unseen Messages!

Our past was over. Our lives before the crash… deleted.
This was our reality now, and we had no one else to blame but each other.

I don’t want to give too much away about the plot, but this book is basically a survival contemporary romance. Estelle and Galloway are two strangers who crash land on an unknown island in Fiji with no hope of ever being found. To say they don’t get along is an understatement – but they’ll need to work together if they want a chance at surviving. They’re reduced to the basest form of themselves, only caring to find food, shelter, and safety. Slowly but surely, and not without their struggles, they manage to keep themselves alive all while the chemistry between them burns brighter and brighter.

The tension in Unseen Messages is one of my favorite things about the novel. Pepper Winters did a fantastic job with building up the chemistry and passion between Estelle and Galloway into something you could FEEL. And when the romance finally developed, my heart couldn’t stop swooning! These two characters are utterly perfect together, and you know that the connection they have with each other would exist no matter where they met, be it stranded island or metropolitan city. The balance between the romance and the struggle to survive for these characters was written perfectly, and there was never a moment where my heart wasn’t pounding, either for Estelle and Galloway to get together or to get off the island.

“Where have you been all my life?” He kissed me softly.
“Waiting.”
“Waiting?”
“Waiting for this.” Stretching, I gave him everything I was. “Waiting for you to find me.”
“And now that I’ve found you?”
“You’re mine.”
“Forever?”
“Forever.”

I felt this survival romance was very authentic – you can tell Pepper Winters did her research, and absolutely nothing was sugar-coated. These characters experience what it means to struggle for things they used to take for granted, and my heart ached at the things they go through, not just hunger and fear of never being found, but also depression and despair. A lot of things that happen will surprise you, and things never go as you expect. I didn’t particularly feel a connection with Estelle or Galloway, but I was invested in their story nonetheless, hoping they’d survive and be found. This book is a pretty long read, and there were some slow-moving parts, but otherwise, this was unputdownable. Unseen Messages is definitely a book not to be missed, and if you like stories that will sweep you away and take you on a journey you’ve never experienced before, it’s a must-read!

4 hearts
lacey

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

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