Review: Meant For Me (Take Me Now #2) by Faith Sullivan

Meant For Me (Take Me Now #2) by Faith Sullivan
Source: Received an ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: December 10, 2013


Description from Goodreads:

Eric thought he had forever...before.

Divided between reliving the past and embracing his new life with Ivy, Eric fears that love will once again be ripped from his grasp. Having faith in the future is hard. So many things can go wrong.

Ivy is convinced that what they have is meant to be...but no one can escape the wheel of fate.

Her love for Eric and the life they're creating make every sacrifice seem worthwhile. Until she's forced to reveal the truth surrounding her delicate condition. Even if it shatters his hope.

Can they hold onto their newfound happiness or are events already in motion to keep them apart?

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I really enjoyed the first book in the Take Me Now series, but I absolutely LOVED Meant for Me! :D It's definitely dramatic, but I really enjoy the chemistry between Eric and Ivy, and I love all of the moments they spend together...both the easy ones with banter and the steamy ones. ;) haha

Since Take Me Now, Ivy and Eric's lives have changed a bit, but all of their drama with Lauren isn't quite over yet....and it definitely gets even more intense in Meant For Me! I absolutely adore Ivy and Eric though, and their passion is amazing. I also loved that in this one we see a very different dynamic between Eric and Ivy than we did in Take Me Now. They're more honest and open with each other, and it's so easy to see both their love and intense attraction for one another, which I absolutely adored! :)

Poor Ivy and Eric just cannot escape the drama that is their lives! I loved that Ivy and Eric just keep trying through, but they definitely hit a few bumps in Meant For Me and I can't wait to see how everything turns out in the next book, Hold Me Tight...especially after Meant for Me's intense ending!!! I'm trying to be a bit vague because I definitely don't want to spoil any of you...but trust me drama abounds, and there are some twists that you just might not expect.

Overall, I thought that Meant for Me was even better than the first book, and I just grew to love Eric and Ivy even more! Now I'm eagerly awaiting Hold Me Tight and I just can't wait to read it!

What do you think?
Do you like romances with a bit of drama?
And if you've started this series, what do you think of it so far?

Review: Somewhere to Dream (The MacDonnells #3) by Genevieve Graham

Somewhere to Dream (The MacDonnells #3) by Genevieve Graham
Source: Received an egalley from the publisher on Netgalley for an honest review.
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: Already Released.
Number of Pages: 336 (Paperback)


Description from Goodreads:

From Genevieve Graham, author of Sound of the Heart, comes the tale of two strangers living with the Cherokee—one with a warrior’s heart; the other with deadly dreams…

The Cherokee call her Shadow Girl. A white woman adopted by Indians, Adelaide is haunted by the dark dreams she hides—of her murdered family, of the men she fears, and most of all, of the ones that foretell the future. After her visions cause her to make a terrible mistake, she renounces her power and buries her dreams deep in her soul.

Until Jesse Black is captured by the tribe. His life is spared because the Cherokee believe his warrior spirit belongs to their fallen brother. Though he hates all Indians, Adelaide illuminates their way of life for him, just as he shines light into her shadowed heart. But when her dreams return, Jesse must help her face them…or die trying…

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo
Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

I read this one in the midst of my finals, and it was a very refreshing break from studying! It's been a while since I've read any historical romances, but I really enjoy them, so it was fantastic to pick one up and become immersed in Adelaide and Jesse's world.

This was my first time reading one of Genevieve Graham's books, but I have been meaning to start this series for quite some time...and with the release of Somewhere to Dream, I couldn't resist any longer. I made sure to squeeze in some reading time for it, and I'm so glad that I did! I was a bit lost at the beginning of the novel because this is the third in the series, but I was quickly brought up to speed and managed to figure it all out. I do wish I had read the other two books first, but that's more because I like reading books in serial order. I am extremely excited to go back and read Under the Same Sky and Sound of the Heart though because they sound fantastic...and the main male characters are Scottish...*hubba, hubba*. Jesse was awesome, don't get me wrong...but I have to admit that I have a major soft spot for Scottish accents. ;)

While reading Somewhere to Dream I was quickly wrapped up in the story. I loved seeing Adelaide and Jesse's relationship grow, and I really enjoyed the dynamics amongst them and amongst all of the members of the Cherokee tribe. I really enjoyed the book, but I must admit that I think I would've liked it even more if I had read the previous books first...I'm a huge fan of getting to see "cameos" of previous characters when reading a series like this, so I'm a bit sad that I missed out on that. For that reason alone, I'd recommend starting the series in the normal order...plus, you avoid spoilers that way. :P Even though I did read the books out of order, I still loved Adelaide and Jesse's amazing chemistry, and I loved seeing them open up and let each other in.

Overall, I really enjoyed Somewhere to Dream. I enjoyed getting to learn more about the mysterious Adelaide, and seeing Jesse immerse himself in the Cherokee culture. It was a wonderful story, and I'm really looking forward to going back and reading the first two books!

What do you think?
Are you a fan of historical romances?
Have you read any of Genevieve Graham's books yet?

Review: Devil's Frost (Spellspinners of Melas County #3) by Heidi R. Kling

  Source: Received a review copy from the publisher for an honest review.

Publisher: Coliloquy, LLC

Release Date: Already Released
You can find out more about Devil's Frost and the Spellspinners of Melas County Saga on Coliloquy's website.

Blurb from Goodreads:

Every young witch looks forward to her first Solstice Stones. The pride of representing her coven against the warlocks. The rush from her first taste of dark magic.

But a few short minutes into the Stones, and Lily’s lifelong dream turns into a nightmare of pain and regret. Betrayed not once, but twice, her restraint snaps—with dire consequences.

Lily is wracked with guilt and on the run from the powerful Congression, when her broken confidence is further shattered by an ugly secret from the past. As her options dwindle, Lily is forced into a distasteful alliance.

Will she be able to find her way back to the light? Or will darkness consume her before dawn's new day?

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I've really been enjoying Coliloquy's interactive titles, and the Spellspinners of Melas County is one of my favourites, so I've been eagerly awaiting this book. I absolutely loved getting to return to Lily and Logan's story in Devil's Frost, but there were a few things about this installment in the series that I wasn't a big fan of, so while I did really enjoy it, it is my least favourite out of the three books so far.

Mostly, I was disappointed with this one because it really wasn't interactive at all. As I have gushed about the interactive parts being one of my favourite elements in these books, it's probably not that surprising that I was disappointed with a lack of choices. The only options in Devil's Frost were whether you wanted to read bonus material or not....which frankly isn't a choice at all because it doesn't actually do anything for the plot itself, or to the narrative that you as a reader are following. The fact that there were no actual choices in the book made a lot of it seem really repetitious, too. We see the same events from both Logan's and Lily's points of view, which was drastically different from the narratives of the first two books, where we rarely saw the same scenes twice, and while I enjoyed the story, the repetition made it feel really anti-climatic, and like it was all filler. I also didn't realize that this was going to be a nine-book series. By the setup of the first two books, I was thinking four or five at the most (since I knew it was a "saga"), so instead of having the story start to tie together in this one, like I expected, we just got more conflict, and circled back through the alternating points of view.

While I was disappointed with this one, I was glad to see more of Lily and Logan. I still love their chemistry and the dynamics they have together, especially when they cast spells. As I mentioned, a lot of this book did feel like it was more filler, and that it was laying the groundwork for future books in the series, so I'm hopeful that the next book will return to the feel of the previous ones. A lot of questions were left open at the end of Devil's Frost, but we finally got more about the prophecy and about both Lily's and Logan's pasts. In the bonus material, we also got to see a little bit of Daisy, which was definitely different from the rest of the book, but was interesting nonetheless. I still loved the imaginative world that Heidi R. Kling has created in this series and embedded within our own world. I love the way her spells work, the dynamics of the witches and warlocks, and the vast history surrounding the segregation of the spellspinners by gender...it's incredibly interesting, and has kept me riveted since I first started the series.

Overall, I enjoyed Devil's Frost, but was disappointed in the lack of interactivity in it, and I felt that compared to the first two books, this one was a bit lackluster. There was action, and we got a little bit of Logan and Lily romance, but the parallel narratives felt a bit repetitious, which was very different from the first two books. I do think that fans of the series will enjoy returning to Lily and Logan's story though, and I'm personally really excited for the next book because I think that Devil's Frost set it up for some serious action and intensity...and hopefully lots and lots of romance, too. ;) If you haven't started this series yet, don't let my disappointment in this book stop you. The first two were fantastic, and the magical world in the Spellspinners of Melas County series is amazing, and I think you'll be riveted by it, too.

You can find my thoughts on Witch's Brew and  my review for The Gleaning, here:
Witch's Brew (Book #1) - short GR review
The Gleaning (Book #2) - blog review

Twitter Links: Heidi R. Kling | Coliloquy

Have you started the Spellspinners of Melas County series yet?

If you have, have you read Devil's Frost yet? Thoughts?

And if you haven't, are you a fan of witches and magic?

Does the series sound like something you'd like to read?

Release Day Blitz: Kiss the Sky by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie

I have been eagerly waiting for the release day of KISS THE SKY for a long time now, and luckily...it released early this week, and I devoured it over the past couple of days! I absolutely loved it, and I've got some "official" release day goodies for you all! Also, this is a spinoff from the Addicted Series, but it can be read as a standalone if you haven't read the other books. :)


Title: Kiss the Sky
Authors: Krista and Becca Ritchie
Genre: New Adult Standalone Romance
Release Date: January 24, 2014
Hosted by: Love Between the Sheets Promotions


Synopsis

Virgin. Sex addict. Daredevil. Alcoholic. Smartass … Jackass. Her five friends are about to be filmed. Reality TV, be prepared.

Rose Calloway thought she had everything under control. At twenty-three, she’s a Princeton graduate, an Academic Bowl champion, a fashion designer and the daughter of a Fortune 500 mogul. But with a sex addict as a sister and roommate, nothing comes easy.

After accepting help from a producer, Rose agrees to have her life filmed for a reality television show. The Hollywood exec is her last chance to revive her struggling fashion line, and boundaries begin to blur as she’s forced to make nice with a man who always has his way.

Twenty-four-year-old Connor Cobalt is a guy who bulldozes weak men. He’s confident, smart-as-hell and lives with his equally ambitious girlfriend, Rose Calloway. Connor has to find a way to protect Rose without ruining the show. Or else the producer will get what Connor has always wanted—Rose’s virginity.

This New Adult Standalone Romance can be described as Friends meets The Real World. Expect fist fights, drugs, sex of varying degrees, crude humor and competitive alpha males. Definitely for mature readers audiences only.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Here's a lovely little teaser for you!! :)

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About the Authors

Krista Ritchie has a clone...or someone who looks exactly like her. If she's not writing books with her twin sister, she's pouring over entertainment news and ingesting copious amounts of pop culture. She likes tennis, that thing called the TV, and beating Becca (her clone) on Sega Genesis. She created YA Book Exchange to combat her book buying addiction and started Nawanda Files, a YA Book Blog that features books into movies news, to share her love for all things bookish. Oh, and she does something called science. Whatever that is. 

Krista & Becca Ritchie write New Adult books that make you cringe, gasp, and go ooh-la-la. (If you do that sort of thing.) They are currently working on the spin-offs and final books in the Addicted series. 

Connect with the Authors: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Website | Krista's Goodreads | Becca's Goodreads

  

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Giveaway

1 x $25.00 Amazon Gift Card 

1 x Signed Paperback of Kiss the Sky

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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I'll be posting my review soon, so if you're not convinced yet, maybe I can convince you through my fangirlness. :P I'll post a link here once my review is up. :)

So, what do you think?

Does KISS THE SKY sound like something you'd like to read?

Forever Loved Book Blitz!!

 

Forever Loved byDeanna Roy
(The Forever Series #2)  
Publication date: January 10th, 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance 

Synopsis: 

The much-anticipated sequel to the Top 10 bestselling new adult romance Forever Innocent.

“How do I tell the woman I love that I fathered a son with a prostitute?”

After four long years of separation, Gavin has finally reunited with his childhood love Corabelle. She’s forgiven him for leaving her during the funeral of their seven-day-old baby, and also for where he ended up — in Mexico to get a vasectomy.

But a message from Rosa, a prostitute he met the day of his surgery, brings his life to a crashing halt. She claims Gavin has fathered a son, now three years old and living with her cousin in Ensenada. He doesn’t know if he can trust Rosa, who never mentioned the boy before, or if his delicate reconciliation with Corabelle can withstand the shock if it is true.

Corabelle believes their future together is the right thing despite their past. But when she learns of this other child, the one thing she lost long ago and might never have again with Gavin, Corabelle’s faith that her life will ever follow her old dream is shattered. To make things right for Gavin and his son, she just might have to let go of the only person she always believed would be her forever love.

Forever Loved is the heart-wrenching conclusion to Gavin and Corabelle's passionate story.
HEA. 276 print pages.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18759240-forever-loved

Purchase:  
        Forever Innocent (only $0.99 from January 12-24th!): Amazon | B&N
        Forever Loved: Amazon - US, CAN, UK | B&N | All Romance

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AUTHOR BIO 

Deanna Roy is a passionate advocate for women who have lost babies. She founded PregnancyLoss.Info in 1998 and runs many online and in-person support groups. She is the author of several two-hankie reads, including Forever Innocent, Stella & Dane, and Baby Dust.

Author links: Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook

Excerpt from Forever Loved,
Book 2 of the Forever Series

The bestselling story Forever Innocent (just 99 cents through Jan. 24) comes to its dramatic conclusion in Forever Loved, out Jan. 10 from author Deanna Roy.

In this scene, Gavin realizes that his ditching Corabelle has had grave consequences as she attempts to recover from pneumonia in the hospital.

________________

I stepped out of the curtain space quickly and walked along the semicircle, praying Corabelle was in one of them. A teenage boy. A middle-aged woman. A man in traction.

Then I saw her. She slept, her dark hair tied up in a knot high on her head.

I almost dropped to my knees.

She had a tube going into her mouth, a blue one just like Finn’s. Her heartbeat registered on a monitor, as well as her oxygen levels. I tried to shake the vision of the NICU, but the noises were too similar, the wheeze of a ventilator and periodic beeps.

I stumbled toward her like a dying man. What had happened? My stomach felt lined with rocks. I sat on the bed and brushed back a wisp of hair from her forehead. She slept really hard, not shifting at all with my touch. They must have given her something to knock her out. Even the first two nights when she was sick, she would still shift around, sometimes making little sounds. Now she was so flat to the bed.

Like Finn had been after I’d signed the papers to disconnect him.

Remorse crashed over me like a wave. I had screwed everything up. Walked out on her. Gone to Mexico. And here she was, barely holding on.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” I whispered.

I shouldn’t be in her life at all. She’d been doing fine until I came along. Going to school, planning her future.

Now she was here.

The monitors continued their steady sounds.

I heard the nurse talking and panicked. I would not leave her now. The machines were to the left of the bed, so the nurse would probably approach there. I ducked to the opposite side and folded tight into a ball, tugging the curtain in front of me so that I sat between it and the concrete wall.

I couldn’t see anything, but the footsteps grew closer, paused, then faded away again. The maintenance cart began rolling, wheels clattering on the concrete floor.

When the room was quiet again, I peeked out. Corabelle had not moved. Her elbow was bent near the edge of the bed, and I shifted forward to lay my forehead against her cool skin.

I wished we could go back to that first night at the astronomy star party, when Corabelle stretched out beside me on the roof, and we realized the world had pushed us back together after four years. But I’d gotten angry, and taken off. If I could just do that night again, I wouldn’t have left then either. If we’d been better from the beginning, she wouldn’t have walked into that damn ocean.

I just kept leaving. I just kept walking away.

Until I figured all this out, I could not be the man who always stayed the course. I would continue to be the one who wasn’t there when things got tough.

I didn’t want to be that person.

GIVEAWAYS

Individual Tour Stop

- Prize: One (1) ebook copy of Forever Loved
- Open internationally. - Giveaway ends January 29th at 11:59 PM (MST) 

TO ENTER FILL OUT THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blitz-wide giveaway
(Open internationally): 
--A $50 gift card and a butterfly box full of books and swag. 

TO ENTER FILL OUT THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW: 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Forever Loved just released a few days ago, and I was lucky enough to get to enjoy it a wee bit early...and I absolutely loved it, so hopefully you will, too! :D And if you haven't read Forever Innocent yet, the awesome $0.99 deal is the perfect chance to pick up your copy. ;)

And I already gushed about this in my review, but I just have to say it again...this time with more gifs!! I totally love that the guy on the cover looks like Nick from Grimm, and if I imagine the actor, David Giuntoli, just a tiny bit younger, he completely looks like how I pictured Gavin...also I heart the actor and his character on Grimm so freaking much...I mean look at him: 

Okay...so the gifs are slightly unrelated, but I could picture Gavin giving those looks, especially the third one...and that last one, well it was just too perfect out of context to not put in. ;)

What do you think?

After that tense and heart-wrenching scene are you excited for Forever Loved?

And if you haven't read Forever Innocent yet, will you be getting yourself an ebook of it during the sale? 

Review: Forever Loved (The Forever Series #2) by Deanna Roy

Source: Received an ebook from the author for an honest review.
Publisher: Casey Shay Press
Release Date: January 10, 2014
Number of Pages:  276 (Paperback)


Description from Goodreads:

When Gavin saves Corabelle from her plunge into the frigid waters of the Pacific, he knows her recovery from pneumonia is only the beginning of their journey. They share a difficult history — a teen pregnancy, a seven-day-old baby who died of a heart condition, and his decision four years ago to leave Corabelle behind and not look back.

But there are no secrets between them now. As Gavin and Corabelle build a new future together, they learn to trust each other again, falling back on that love they have shared since they were children.

But their past has one last shocking surprise, a revelation that will shake their tender bond and pierce the heart of Corabelle, who has just begun to believe that she truly is Gavin’s only forever love.

Forever Loved is the heart-wrenching conclusion to Corabelle and Gavin’s passionate story.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon.ca | Amazon UK | B&N | All Romance | Kobo

I must admit that, like most readers I'm sure, the description of Forever Loved did give me a bit of a fright, but I knew that Deanna Roy would give us one heck of a story, and I hoped that I would love it as much as I loved Forever Innocent, and you know what...I did!

Forever Loved isn't a light read. It makes you think, it makes you feel, and above all else it pulls you into the story. While it wasn't light a read, it was definitely fast because I didn't want to put it down at all! I already loved Gavin and Corabelle from Forever Innocent, so I was thrilled to get to see more of them, and while they did have some rough spots in this book, I loved that we got to see Gavin and Corabelle tackling things together! I'm not going to get into specifics or anything, but I definitely thought that we were able to see how much Gavin and Corabelle have grown and their reactions to difficult situations really reflected how much growth they have had, both separately and as a couple. I know some people don't like dual POVs, but I think Deanna Roy does an amazing job with them! She never replays the same scene in a different POV. Instead, we are always given something completely different or one that compliments the scene before it, and it works incredibly well!

While Forever Loved does end in a place where Gavin and Corabelle's story isn't completely over, it does tie everything together extremely well, and it leaves enough open so that the next book in the series, Forever Sheltered, which will be about Corabelle's friend, Tina, can fit right in. To be honest, I'm kind of glad that there was a bit left open just so that we can see more of them in Tina's story!! I'm so excited for it. I'm looking forward to more of Tina, but I'm also psyched to see a bit more of Gavin and Corabelle, too...I'm definitely not tired of them yet! ;D

Overall, I thought that Forever Loved was fantastic! It brought me back to two characters that I absolutely loved in Forever Innocent, and may have tossed some upheaval in their lives, but it also brought amazing things as well. I was a bit nervous when I first read the book's description, but in the end, I was extremely happy with how Deanna Roy tied everything together, and I am super excited to get to see a bit more of Gavin and Corabelle in Tina's story, Forever Sheltered...plus since it's Tina's story, you know it's gonna be a blast to read! :D

And finally, I have to admit that a big part of me loves the covers for these books because I think the cover model for Gavin looks a lot like the actor who plays Nick (David Giuntoli) on Grimm and I think that guy is a super hottie! ;D

Case in point:

with some scruff now:

haha now that I've gotten that off of my chest, what do you think?

Have you already read Forever Innocent and can't wait to read Forever Loved?

And if you haven't read either, do you want to?

Also, feel free to comment on the cover...seriously, he looks like Nick (David Giuntoli), right?! (psst...that's the IMDb link with pictures! ;D)

Forever Loved is here!!! #ReleaseDay

GUESS WHAT'S OUT TODAY!!! 

It's FOREVER LOVED by Deanna Roy! :D

And with the book's release comes the unveiling of the more explicit synopsis...read if you dare! Below are also some buy links if you want a copy as soon as possible...which let's face it, if you read FOREVER INNOCENT, you totally do! ;D

Forever Loved byDeanna Roy
(The Forever Series #2)  
Publication date: January 10th, 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance 

Synopsis: 

The much-anticipated sequel to the Top 10 bestselling new adult romance Forever Innocent.

“How do I tell the woman I love that I fathered a son with a prostitute?”

After four long years of separation, Gavin has finally reunited with his childhood love Corabelle. She’s forgiven him for leaving her during the funeral of their seven-day-old baby, and also for where he ended up — in Mexico to get a vasectomy.

But a message from Rosa, a prostitute he met the day of his surgery, brings his life to a crashing halt. She claims Gavin has fathered a son, now three years old and living with her cousin in Ensenada. He doesn’t know if he can trust Rosa, who never mentioned the boy before, or if his delicate reconciliation with Corabelle can withstand the shock if it is true.

Corabelle believes their future together is the right thing despite their past. But when she learns of this other child, the one thing she lost long ago and might never have again with Gavin, Corabelle’s faith that her life will ever follow her old dream is shattered. To make things right for Gavin and his son, she just might have to let go of the only person she always believed would be her forever love.

Forever Loved is the heart-wrenching conclusion to Gavin and Corabelle's passionate story.
HEA. 276 print pages.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18759240-forever-loved

Purchase:  
        Forever Innocent (only $0.99 from January 12-24th!): Amazon | B&N
        Forever Loved: Amazon - US, CAN, UK | B&N | All Romance

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AUTHOR BIO 

Deanna Roy is a passionate advocate for women who have lost babies. She founded PregnancyLoss.Info in 1998 and runs many online and in-person support groups. She is the author of several two-hankie reads, including Forever Innocent, Stella & Dane, and Baby Dust.

Author links: Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook

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Oooh, and don't forget to enter Deanna's awesome giveaway for the release of Forever Innocent:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 And if you haven't read Forever Innocent, but want to see what it's all about, here's its goodreads page, and here's my review (spoiler: I loved it! ;D).

I'll also be posting my review for Forever Loved soon, and will be participating in a book blitz for it, too...don't miss it because you'll get to read an excerpt and can enter to win an ebook of Forever Loved!

Have you already read Forever Innocent already? 

Are you super excited now that Forever Loved is out?

And if you haven't started the series yet, do you want to read it?

Review: Shaken Not Stirred (Mixology #1) by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Source: Received an ebook during blog tour for an honest review.
Release Date: January 7, 2014 (Already released.)
Number of Pages: 286 (Kindle edition)


Description from Goodreads:

Finding the perfect guy is like mixing the perfect drink. It's all about the taste and presentation.

Maddy's gone off the deep end, at least that's what her family thinks when she handles her med school rejections by moving to the Outer Banks. It doesn't help that she's paying her bills by bartending and is sharing walls with two guys, even if one of them is her childhood best friend.

Her choice of men seems more balanced on the surface—Colin is driven, sexy, and gainfully employed, but she can't help spending her Thursday nights searching for the perfect drink for Lyle, whose music captivates her with its haunting lyrics. Maddy believes everyone has a perfect drink—and finding Lyle's isn't a challenge she's willing to lose.

Buy Links: Amazon | B&N

I thought by the description and the quirky cover that I would love this book, and while I did enjoy it, I didn't end of loving it like I thought that I would. There were certain parts of the book that I absolutely loved, but unfortunately they were overshadowed by several parts that just drove me crazy.

As far as characters go, I actually really enjoyed the main character, Maddy. I thought that she was hilarious, and I absolutely adored the relationships that she had with her two male roommates, Macon and Brody. I loved that she was able to have such strong friendships with both guys, and their teasing banter was fantastic. It brought a really light aspect to the book that made it easy to get absorbed in...unfortunately it was bogged down by the actual romantic relationship in the story.

Oh, Colin. I actually liked Colin most of the time, and when I didn't like him it was usually because Maddy twisted what he did in a way that made him extremely unlikeable. Somehow, Colin was portrayed as both sexy and boring simultaneously throughout the book. On their first date, Maddy is pretty much "meh" about him the whole time, and while she concedes he's attractive, she doesn't really leave you wanting to see a lot more of him. He did get more attractive, and Maddy definitely thinks he's hot...but it wasn't really the best way to get us to like him from the start. Their relationship was also riddled with problems. He worked constantly, then he'd ignore her or something worse, they'd argue...she'd leave, and she'd ignore him...he'd suck up and say something cheesy, and then they'd make up...usually by having sex...and that happened several times throughout the book. Pretty much any time things were tough between these two...they had sex. No talking, no communication to actually fix their issues once and for all...just solved it with sex. It's no wonder that their issues kept cropping back up.

Now, that I've ranted about the fact that all of their relationship drama could've been solved by one simple conversation, I did enjoy their banter when they weren't arguing...and they did have some crazy chemistry, so I could understand Maddy's desires, but I just felt like so much of the conflict in this book was pointless. I loved when we got to see them actually be together, and I loved seeing Maddy get more involved in Colin's life, too. I also loved her friends Macon and Brody, but I was bothered by Colin's dislike towards them...I get that he'd be jealous her best friends were guys, but yet again it was something that was obviously bothering him, but was never brought up. Pretty much all of my issues simply tied in to the lack of communication between Colin and Maddy, and sadly, I never really felt like that was wrapped up by the end of the book.

Overall, Shaken Not Stirred is a quick read, and while I did dislike how certain elements of the relationship were handled, I did enjoy reading it. I would recommend it more for a light read, and I'd say it's worth reading just for the snarky lines and fun banter between characters, but don't take it too seriously and you might enjoy it more than I did. I honestly did love all of the friendships in Shaken Not Stirred, and I enjoyed Colin and Maddy's relationship for the most part. This book also did end in a way that kept me smiling...and that's always a good thing. :)

Here are a couple of other bloggers' reviews on Shaken Not Stirred:
Fabulously Girly Book Blog - 3 Stars
Nicely Phrased - 4 stars
Fic Central - 5 stars

What do you think?
Have you read Shaken Not Stirred?
If you have, what did you think?
If you haven't, does it sound like a book you would like?

Shaken Not Stirred Blog Tour: Excerpt! #Excerpt

Shaken Not Stirred (Mixology #1) by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Finding the perfect guy is like mixing the perfect drink. It's all about the taste and presentation.

Maddy's gone off the deep end, at least that's what her family thinks when she handles her med school rejections by moving to the Outer Banks. It doesn't help that she's paying her bills by bartending and is sharing walls with two guys, even if one of them is her childhood best friend.

Her choice of men seems more balanced on the surface—Colin is driven, sexy, and gainfully employed, but she can't help spending her Thursday nights searching for the perfect drink for Lyle, whose music captivates her with its haunting lyrics. Maddy believes everyone has a perfect drink—and finding Lyle's isn't a challenge she's willing to lose.

About Alyssa Rose Ivy:

Alyssa Rose Ivy is a New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Links: Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | Pinterest | Website

EXCERPT

“Okay, I’m impressed.” I took in the pillar candles, the rose pedals, and the cushions strategically placed on the floor of the circular room. Then my eyes went to the bottle of champagne waiting on ice. “I thought you said this wasn’t going to be romantic?”

“No. I said I didn’t promise romance…that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to give it to you.” He grinned, clearly happy with my response.

“This is impressive.” The setup blew any previous romantic gesture anyone had done for me out of the water. I couldn’t believe he’d go through so much effort for a date.

“Good. Glad to know I was successful.”

“But isn’t this illegal? I mean, the lighthouse is closed.”

“I work with some people who work here.”

“That’s kind of vague.” Colin didn’t strike me as the rule breaking type, so I assumed there was a good explanation.

“It’s not worth going into the details.”

“You like the whole mysterious vibe, don’t you?”

“Only if it works.”

“It’s kind of sexy.” It was, even if it also went counter to the image I had of Colin. I’d viewed him as a “straight and narrow, vanilla and sort of boring—although extremely attractive”—guy. He was more interesting than I gave him credit for. Certainly more than his IPA preference suggested.

“There is one more thing.” He opened a small cooler I hadn’t noticed on my initial perusal.

“Are those chocolate-covered strawberries?” I didn’t bother to keep the excitement out of my voice.

“I remembered how much you liked them.”

“You are really scoring points tonight.”

“That was the plan.”

And here's a couple of teasers for you:

 

Here's the schedule if you would like to follow the rest of the Shaken Not Stirred Blog Tour:

December 30

Fic Central-Review Only
BestSellers & BestStellars-DreamCast & Review
The Book Whisperer-Review Only

December 31

Lovin Los Libros-Guest Post & Review
Keep Calm & Read Romance-Review Only

January 1

Made For You Book Reviews-Excerpt & Review
The Surburban Eclectic Review-Review Only

January 2

Anatea’s Bookshelf-Author Interview & Review
Confessions of a Vi3tBabe-Review Only

January 3

Burning Impossibly Bright-Excerpt
Nicely Phrased-Review Only

January 4

Part of That World-Review Only
Ticket to Anywhere-Guest Post

January 5

Deb’s Crazy Obsession-Review Only

January 6

Fabulously Girly Book Blog-Review Only
BJs Book Blog-Excerpt & Review

January 7

I Read Indie-Playlist
Her Juicy Reads-Review Only

January 8

Smut Book Junkie-Guest Post
BookAngel Booktopia-Fun & Different Idea! & Review
Madison Says-Excerpt & Review

January 9

My Daily Romance-Excerpt & Review
Gabic Reads-Review Only
Rumpled Sheets Blog-Review Only

January 10

Roxy’s Reviews-Review Only
Starbucks N Books Obsession-Guest Post & Review

January 11

A Life Bound By Books-Character Interview & Review
Living in a Bookworld-Author Interview
Reading Between the Wines-Guest Post

January 12

Lustful Literature-Review Only
Tiffany Talks Books-Review Only

January 13

Steamy Guys After Dark-Review Only
Cocktails and Books-Author Interview & Review

January 14

FTLOB by JBlog-Review Only
Paulette’s Papers-Excerpt

January 15

My Favorite Things-Review Only
Ramblings From This Chick-Guest Post & Review

January 16

The Danish Bookaholic-Review Only
Unabridged Bookshelf-Author Interview & Review

January 17

Book Addict Mumma-Fun & Different Idea! & Review
Andrea Heltsley Books-Review Only
What’s Beyond Forks-Excerpt & Review

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What an awesome excerpt! :D
What do you think? Does Shaken Not Stirred sound like something you want to read?