Stacking the Shelves #4

So before you all get a glimpse of my goodies this week, I must let you know where this feature comes from. I've been totally negligent on that. So Stacking the Shelves comes from Tynga's Reviews and as most of you know,it's a way for everyone to share the book related goodies they got this week.

You may wonder why I am posting this a day early. Well that's because I managed to get myself double booked for tomorrow.This is just a one time thing though. By next week I should be back to normal.

So here are my goodies for this week.

Bought

Frigid (Frigid #1) (e-book)
Beautiful Downfall (e-book)

Received for Review

Escaping Reality: The Secret Life of Amy Benson (e-galley from Netgalley)

Maine Squeeze (e-galley from Netgalley)

The Road to Her (e-galley from Netgalley)
Like Falling (Surfacing #1) (e-galley)
Grievous Bodily Harm: A Toni Day Mystery (Print copy)
Portrait of a Crossroads (e-galley from Netgalley)
Sixteen Sixty-One (e-galley from Netgalley)

Won

Playing Nice (e-book)

Gifts
Replica (from Christina @ A Reader of Fictions)
Extremities: Stories of Death,Murder & Revenge ( from Christina @ A Reader of Fictions)

As much as I was hoping that this week wouldn't be as crazy as last week I was wrong. Big time wrong. No it wasn't a busy mailing week but definitely a busy Netgalley week. I guess Netgalley was feeling pretty generous this week. Can't complain there.

Be sure to leave the link to your book haul in the comments. I look forward to seeing what everyone else got this week.

Book Tour: Romancing the Bookworm by Kate Evangelista

Title: Romancing the Bookworm 

Author: Kate Evangelista     

Release date: July 9, 2013

Publisher: Omnific Publishing

Genre: New Adult Contemporary romance

Book Information: Goodreads, Book Trailer

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

Sometimes, even the best-laid plans can unravel.

It's spring break, and Tamara Winters would rather stay on campus and read romance novels than flaunt her size-fourteen body on a beach. But her best friend, Roni, has other ideas. Against her wishes, Tamara is whisked away to picturesque Maverick Bay, where she's wrangled into waiting tables with Roni at the Shore Shack for its busy week leading to Maverick's Surf Invitational. There she meets fellow schoolmate Xavier Solomon, the Invitational's organizer and campus womanizer by reputation. From the moment Tamara sees him emerging from the waves like a hero in of one of her romance novels, all she wants to do is run away from the feelings he inspires in her.

Little does she know Xavier has been watching her for weeks now. In fact, after failed attempts at asking her out on campus, he's concocted a crazy plan: fabricating romantic situations straight out of her favorite books. Xavier quickly realizes that if Tamara gets a whiff of his designs, he might as well spell CREEPER across his forehead. Yet as they grow closer, he's convinced it's a risk worth taking. What he hasn't planned on, of course, is his drug-addicted, alcoholic stepbrother, who decides to join the fun and put a wrench in Xavier’s scheme.

Spring break is proving hotter than Tamara expected. Will her romance novels be able to compete?

Disclaimer: I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my participation in a blog tour.

Review: I was excited to read this book from the minute I saw the synopsis and I was hopeful that the book itself wouldn't disappoint me. It didn't disappoint me at all. In fact It felt as though the book was written FOR me in so many ways. I have always preferred the company of books to the company of actual people. I have very little experience with romance much like Tamara.

I fell head over heels for Xavier from the beginning. He was a very dreamy guy. Not just in looks but in personality too. However I knew pretty quickly that he was hiding something and I was hoping that it wasn't anything too serious like all of his stepbrother's issues.

Roni was an awesome best friend. Best friends are supposed to be there for you. They are supposed to apologize when they wronged you and Roni did that. Not only that,but she pushed Tamara OUT of her comfort zone. That I loved.She didn't do it maliciously. She did it out of love for Tamara. I wish we had seen more of Hudson,Roni's brother. I really liked him.He was a loyal guy to both his best friend Xavier and to Roni.

I know I wasn't supposed to,but I fell for Zander. Yes he had problems but at the root of it he was a good guy. I truly believe that. No he didn't handle things well with Roni, or with Xavier for that matter,but underneath all the drugs & alcohol I truly believe he was a good person. He had gone through so much hell and now he was feeling unloved by his family,pushed out by Xavier. Like Xavier admitted near the end,I do believe Zander loved Roni. I am SO hoping the author does another book,this one with Zander & Roni as the focal points.

Xavier and Tamara were so flipping CUTE! Gah I was so hoping that Tamara would cash in her v-card with this guy. I think cashing it in with some guy who she doesn't know would have really upset her. I also like that they didn't rush into it and that Xavier allowed her to set the pace. That showed so much respect for her.

I really liked how there were so few characters.It allowed for better character development and it allowed me to care about the five main characters.Sometimes a book can have too many secondary characters that it gets confusing and I get frustrated.

This book really spoke to me and I really adored the entire thing. I am giving it five stars because this book was perfection. From the plot to the characters to the backdrop.

About the Author:

When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn’t going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master’s courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she has four completed Young Adult novels.

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Book Tour

Review: Say When (Something More #1) by Tara West

Author: Tara West

Published Date: July 10th,2013

Published by: Shifting Sands Publishing

Series: Book 1

Genre: Romance

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Synopsis: Christina Duval has just ended her engagement to the affluent but otherwise tedious,rude & abrasive Jackson much to her mother's disgust. Her mother still attempts to control her life and up until now Christina has allowed it.Christina's disgusting & pervy father is dead thankfully, It takes meeting a sexy stranger for things to turn on their head.

Andres is unlike anyone Christina has ever known.He intrigues her from the beginning.She wants so desperately to trust what he says to her but after her experience with men,she's tentative.Christina knows that she must trust Andres with more than just her body. She must trust him with her heart.

Disclaimer: I got this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review: When we first meet Christina, she is a a doormat. She allows everyone around her to control her life. From her mother to Jackson. She has no say in her own life.That really drove me bananas as I really don't have patience for those who don't stand up for themselves. She has two friends, Grace and Karri. I still don't understand why she is friends with Karri except that she feels terrible for Karri's son Ty and for Karri's sweet natured mother because Karri just won't give up the drugs. Grace is a great friend and I enjoyed watching the threads of friendship be woven into the story.

Watching Christina become more assertive was so awesome to see. Reading about her standing up to her mother and telling her mother everything she had been so afraid to tell her made me so excited. I could see Christina's self confidence rise and my enjoyment of her character grew as well.

Andres was everything that Christina wanted,needed and deserved in a man. He was sweet,gentle & supportive.All things that Christina didn't have in her relationship with Jackson.As my friend Molli would say,he was swoon-worthy.

Normally I cringe at the insta-love and the insta-sex but this just WORKED. Christina needed a guy that was completely different from her father and ex fiancee and Andres gave her that.The sex scenes were extremely hot.It's been awhile since I read something that had the kind of chemistry that Andres and Christina had.Andres gave Christina the courage to assert herself which I loved.

This book gets a 4 star review from me. Mostly because it chronicled Christina's emotional growth which I enjoyed. It's not getting the full 5 stars mainly because I feel it was too short and while it was a good read, I wanted more of it. I am so excited to see where the story goes and I wish it was 2014 already so I could get my hands on the next book.

Cover Reveal: Out From Under by Selene Chardou

Title: Out From Under, A Novel (Stand alone, not part of a series)

Author: Selene Chardou

Expected release date: July 31st, 2013

Genre: Romantic Mystery & Suspense / Contemporary Romance

Age Group: New Adult

Book Synopsis

Trista Lennon is strong, independent and only desires freedom. Freedom from the control of her parents, freedom from the motorcycle gangs she has had to put up with her whole life and freedom

from a relationship that will trap her into the very life she has no wish to ever live.The day before she’s supposed to leave for Stanford University to pursue her dreams, her world is shattered. After a tragedy that tears her family apart, Trey, her cousin, Talia, invites her to L.A. Her life is all the sudden Hollywood stars and sunshine, late nights and wild parties.

And then she meets him.

Linx Carter isn’t looking for a relationship. He survived a dysfunctional marriage with his childhood sweetheart, which produced two sons, an inability to trust women and a multitude of lies. He merely wants to recuperate from a rough, six month tour Winter’s Regret just completed with superstar band, Scarlet Fever, and enjoy a little peace and quiet.

Until he sees her.

Trista and Linx fight their attraction for one another like war on a battlefield.She has a closetful of secrets and he would rather be single and pathetic than date a teenage girl who seems older than her years. However the passion between them is too much to resist and they realize in order to heal one another, they must destroy the walls they have constructed so tightly around their hearts.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Selene Chardou is a world traveler and the alter-ego of Elle Chardou.

Ms. Chardou’s writing is all about hot romance and exciting times with the wild, damaged, out of control and/or rich and famous set in the New Adult realm. She is currently working on Out from Under and The Will to Love, the first novel in the Scarlet Fever Series, which will chronicle the relationship of Will Cullen and Laurel Munsen. She also has a pop stars series planned and an MC series planned that chronicles the issues between Lucifer’s Saints and Demon’s Bastards motorcycle clubs.

Ms. Chardou has lived abroad in Stockholm (Sweden), Manchester (England), Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Contact Information:

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Review: 314 by A.R. Wise

Author: A.R. Wise

Publish Date: December 24th, 2012

Published by: Amazon Digital Services Inc.

Series: Book 1

Available: Amazon

Synopsis: Alma Harper has done her best to forget all about what happened in Widowsfield 16 years ago. She has a great career that she loves and is rekindling things with her one true love.Ye the number 314 haunts her as does the day her brother disappeared.When a reporter appears in Alma's life just days before March 14th,Alma realizes that for her own sanity she must find out what happened that day,sixteen years earlier.

Disclaimer: I got this book as a freebie off of Amazon.com.

Review: I wasn't sure exactly what I was getting into when I got this book as a freebie off of Amazon. I needed a scary book and boy did this book deliver in a big way. The beginning was definitely creepy and disturbing and if I had a weaker stomach I probably would have abandoned the book.This was definitely not a book for everyone due to it's dark subject matter. Nor do you need professional help if you enjoyed this book.

The hops from sixteen years ago to present day were a little difficult to adjust to but once I did adjust to them I had no issues. Editing was great. I found no issues in either grammar,spelling or formatting which really made me a happy camper.Editing is a big issue for me so to see a flawless editing job in this book was a great feeling. Pacing-wise the story was good too. There was one point,about 3/4's of the way in,where there was a little lull but thankfully it didn't last long.

I really loved Alma. I resonated with her so much it was nuts. From the estranged relationship she had with her father,to the on and off again relationship she had with her high school boyfriend. Really just those two things were SO similar to my own life.We got a few flashback snippets of her relationship with her mother and that's where the similarities ended.I am extremely close with my mother (best friend close) and Alma was not.

Paul was so awesome throughout the book. You knew that he loved Alma.It was plain as day.Especially when he agreed to join Alma on a quest for the truth.Yes he had kind of a douche-y history but it was clear that it was always Alma.Thankfully the romance/mushy stuff took a backseat to the creepier stuff.

Eeeek, I loved Jacker. He was another awesome character who turned out to be so much more complex than anyone could have imagined.Rachel and Stephen were awesome too,even if Stephen was a tad bit overzealous about the whole Widowsfield thing.I actually felt sympathy for Rachel because Stephen seemed SO obsessed with it.Now I wanted to like Aubrey,I really did but she came in so late in the book that it was hard for me to really care too much about her.

I didn't even realize this was book 1 of a series until I reached the end. GAH! I was so aggravated about that.However I still plan on reading book two. Now that I look back on this book it does seem like the entire thing was the beginning of a series.There was a LOT of character development which I loved.This book is getting 4.5 stars from me. It was practically perfect except for that small lull that I mentioned earlier and the addition of Aubrey who I think was brought in too late in the book. 

Review: Pivot Point by Kasie West

Author: Kasie West

Publish Date: February 12th,2013

Published by: Harper Teen

Genre: YA/Paranormal

Standalone

Available: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository

Synopsis: Addison "Addie" Coleman lives in constant what if's.As a Searcher,Addie can look into the future whenever she has to make a choice about something,anything.A very important choice hits her out of nowhere when her parents announce that they are divorcing. Now Addie has to choose who she wants to live with (a rough decision for most kids in this situation) However Addie can look into the future and see what life she likes best. Her father will be leaving the paranormal compound to live among the "Norms" while her mother will stay put.

In one future,Addie is adjusting to life outside the compound,meeting new faces like Trevor. He's sweet and kind to her. In the other future Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in their high school. Things kind of turn on their head when Addie's father is asked to consult on a murder in the compound.It will eventually come down to,who can Addie not afford to lose.

Disclaimer: I purchased this book off of Amazon.

Review: I must admit that I had heard so many great things about this book but I was worried that I wouldn't like it. While the beginning was a tiny bit on the slow side,it really picked up quickly and I was drawn into such an interesting world.

I know it sounds crazy but for the longest time I was drawn to Duke. Yes he was an arrogant ass in the beginning. Yes he had the typical quarterback's attitude but I was drawn to him. Trevor on the other hand was kind of boring. I know he was sweet and Addie liked how he understood her but I really thought he was boring.In terms of character development,both love interests definitely had distinct personalities that authors tend not to showcase enough for me.

Addie was awesome. She was the kind of character that I would want as a best friend.She was funny, loyal & kind. Laila was awesome too. She definitely had spunk just like Addie did but again they weren't like two peas in a pod or anything. They had their own distinct likes & personalities. Bobby was a class A jerk and I wanting nothing more than for him to get what was coming to him. 

From a writing standpoint,it was perfection. Great pacing & the editing was perfection. No issues at all. At first going back and forth between the possible futures was a bit confusing but I caught on quickly.

It really made me think though. All I could think when I was reading this (outside of what future will Addie pick) was my future. If I was a Searcher would I Search frequently to make choices or would I just let life happen until I had to make a significant choice like Addie did. I found myself wondering what my future held and I even wished that the ability to know my future was a real thing.

It was an amazing book that I would happily and enthusiastically recommend to all of my friends. Five stars to this book that made me think about my own life.

Stacking the Shelves #3

Just as I predicted,this week started off with an onslaught of books. I actually felt terrible for the mailman on Monday as he handed me 3 packages.Things did not improve for the poor guy as the week went on. I got at least 1 package through Friday.

Bought

Shadow and Bone

The Moon and More

Pivot Point

Received for Review

The Witches of Blackmere High

Just Between Us
Delia's Shadow (e-galley from Netgalley)
Run to Ground
Say When (Something More #1) (e-galley)
Catalyst (e-galley)

Gifts

-

Won

Burn (Book 3 of the Breathless Trilogy) (Twitter giveaway)

All I Need (from Cuddlebuggery)
The Silver Star (from ARCycling)
Playing Nice

This was how I was feeling by Saturday afternoon as I feverishly updated this post.

I never thought I'd say this but I hope next week isn't so book crazy.