Wednesday, 18 April 2018

[Cover Reveal] ARROGANT DEVIL by R.S. Grey

Are you ready for ARROGANT DEVIL? 

I'm so excited to reveal the cover of this next release from R.S. Grey!

Check it out below!



About ARROGANT DEVIL (available May 10th):

Everyone in Cedar Creek, Texas, knows Jack McNight is an arrogant devil. Physically, I get it: he’s tan and fit, with coal-black hair that’s clearly been scorched by hellfire. Oh, and his personality? It burns just as hot.

When I show up on the doorstep of Blue Stone Ranch, I’m run-down and rockin’ my last pair of underwear. I’m hoping for a savior, but instead, I find him.

My opinion of Jack is marred by a dismal first impression, but his opinion of me is tainted even before I arrive. He’s heard I’m a spoiled princess there to take advantage of his goodwill. To him, I’m more trouble than I’m worth.

Our button-pushing banter should get under my skin. His arrogance should be a major turn-off. Problem is, devils are known to offer their own form of temptation.

Every one of his steely glares sends a shiver down my spine.

Every steamy encounter leaves me reeling.

Sure, it could be the Texas heat messing with my head, but there’s no way I’ll survive the summer without silencing him with a kiss and wrestling him out of those Wranglers.

Who knows…going to bed with the devil might just be the salvation I’ve been looking for all along.

ARROGANT DEVIL releases May 10th - you'll be able to preorder your copy for $0.99 starting May 7th!

Keep an eye on R.S. Grey's Facebook page for the link!


About R.S. Grey
R.S. Grey is the USA Today bestselling author of thirteen novels, including THE FOXE & THE HOUND. She lives in Texas with her husband and two dogs, and can be found reading, binge-watching reality TV, or practicing yoga! Visit her at rsgrey.com

Website | Twitter | Facebook | R.S. Grey's Little Reds Facebook Group | Newsletter | Instagram 


What do you think?
Does ARROGANT DEVIL sound like something you'd like to read?
And what do you think of the cover?

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[Timeless Tour] Review: SONGS OF LOVE & WAR by Santa Montefiore


For my Timeless Tour post today I'm sharing my review for Santa Montefiore's SONGS OF LOVE AND WAR!

Scroll on down to read about SONGS OF LOVE AND WAR and Santa Montefiore, after that you'll find my review. ;)


 Source: Received an ARC from Simon & Schuster Canada
to participate in the Timeless Tour and give an honest review.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Release Date: February 13, 2018
Number of Pages: 528 (Paperback)

DESCRIPTION

Previously published in the US as The Girl in the Castle.

The #1 international bestseller about the enduring bond between three women and the castle they will never forget.

Their lives were mapped out ahead of them. But love and war will change everything...

It’s the early 1900s and Castle Deverill stands staunchly untouched by time, hidden away in the rolling Irish hills. Within the castle walls, three friends have formed a close bond: affluent, flame-haired Kitty Deverill; Bridie Doyle, Kitty’s best friend and daughter of the castle’s cook; and Celia Deverill, Kitty’s flamboyant English cousin. They’ve grown up together, always sheltered from the conflict embroiling the rest of the country. But when Bridie learns of a secret Kitty has been keeping, their idyllic world is forever torn apart.

Later, the three women scatter to different parts of the globe. Kitty must salvage what she can before Castle Deverill and everything she has ever known is reduced to ash. Songs of Love and War is an epic generational saga about the lasting bonds of true friendship and the powerful ties we all have to the place we call home.
About Santa Montefiore

Santa Montefiore's books have been translated into twenty languages and have sold more than four million copies in England and Europe. She is married to writer Simon Sebag Montefiore. They live with their two children, Lily and Sasha, in London. Visit her at SantaMontefiore.co.uk.

Follow Santa: Facebook | Twitter

REVIEW

As soon as I started reading SONGS OF LOVE AND WAR, I was hooked! While I was interested in Bridie's parts, and found Celia hilarious (I'm still laughing at one of her lines where she says, "I think I've made a terrible mistake,"), Kitty was definitely the one who absolutely sucked me in and completely wrapped me up in her story! From the first page, I loved the characters, the setting, the writing...absolutely everything! If I wasn't already totally fascinated by Ireland, this book would've sold me on it! ;)

As far as characters go, Kitty was definitely my favourite! I loved her passion, her intelligence, her boldness...absolutely everything about her! I really loved her relationship with both of her grandparents, Hubert and Adeline...and I was pretty much living for any and all moments between Kitty and her love interest...who I will resist naming to avoid spoilers, but guys, I ship them so hard! I don't care if it's a doomed ship, I'm going down with it! I loved seeing the differences in Bridie's chapters compared to Kitty's, but by the end of SONGS OF LOVE AND WAR, I have to admit that I wasn't much of a Bridie fan. Her parts were well written and super fascinating, but I was desperate for more Kitty! Celia on the other hand, I grew to love more and more! Her parts were smaller, but she always made me chuckle! The characters in general were fabulous in this book though!

Along with the characters, I also loved how Ireland was described! Santa Montefiore has done an absolutely beautiful job depicting Ireland. She brings it to life, and it feels as if Ireland itself is a character...and I kind of feel like even though I've never been there myself, Ireland is home after reading this. It also made my wanderlust for Ireland even worse! ;) 

Plot- and story-wise, I thought that SONGS OF LOVE AND WAR was extremely well written! There was so much going on from World War I to the Irish War of Independence all combined with growing up and coming of age. The interweaving plot points and storylines worked perfectly together, and I cannot wait to read the next two books because I seriously NEED to know what happens next!

Overall, I thought that SONGS OF LOVE AND WAR was amazing! It may be long, but it still felt like a really quick read and I was desperate to find out what would happen next as I furiously flipped through the pages! I loved that this story was so immersive. It focused on so many things and handled them all perfectly from family to friendship to love to adolescence to war...and even politics! It was an absolute powerhouse of a story, and you can bet that I'll be eagerly waiting until I can get my hands on the next two books! I'd recommend SONGS OF LOVE AND WAR to historical fiction fans who enjoy sweeping sagas that draw you in and fully immerse you in another time!


Follow along with the Timeless Tour on the tour website, www.timelesstour.ca.



You can also find a tour schedule on my
[Timeless Tour] Kick Off Questions & Full Tour Schedule post.



What do you think?
Would you like to read Songs of Love and War and the rest of the Deverill Chronicles?

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Tuesday, 17 April 2018

[Timeless Tour] Review: BACHELOR GIRL by Kim van Alkemade


For my Timeless Tour post today I'm sharing my review for Kim van Alkemade's BACHELOR GIRL!

Keep scrolling to read about the book and Kim van Alkemade, and then keep going to see my thoughts in my review. :)

Source: Received an ARC from Simon & Schuster Canada
to participate in the Timeless Tour and give an honest review.
Publisher: Touchstone
Release Date: March 6, 2018
Number of Pages: 416 (Paperback)

DESCRIPTION

NOW AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

“Bachelor Girl plunges the reader deep into life during the Jazz Age…and the revealing of other secrets and confessions will keep readers up all night looking for answers.” —Booklist, starred review

From the New York Times bestselling author of Orphan #8 comes a fresh and intimate novel in the vein of Lilac Girls and The Alice Network about the destructive power of secrets and the redemptive power of love—inspired by the true story of Jacob Ruppert, the millionaire owner of the New York Yankees, and his mysterious bequest in 1939 to an unknown actress, Helen Winthrope Weyant.

When the owner of the New York Yankees baseball team, Colonel Jacob Ruppert, takes Helen Winthrope, a young actress, under his wing, she thinks it’s because of his guilt over her father’s accidental death—and so does Albert Kramer, Ruppert’s handsome personal secretary. Helen and Albert develop a deepening bond the closer they become to Ruppert, an eccentric millionaire who demands their loyalty in return for his lavish generosity.

New York in the Jazz Age is filled with possibilities, especially for the young and single. Yet even as Helen embraces being a “bachelor girl”—a working woman living on her own terms—she finds herself falling in love with Albert, even after he confesses his darkest secret. When Ruppert dies, rumors swirl about his connection to Helen after the stunning revelation that he has left her the bulk of his fortune, which includes Yankee Stadium. But it is only when Ruppert’s own secrets are finally revealed that Helen and Albert will be forced to confront the truth about their relationship to him—and to each other.

Inspired by factual events that gripped New York City in its heyday, Bachelor Girl is a hidden history gem about family, identity, and love in all its shapes and colors.
About Kim Van Alkemade

Kim van Alkemade is the author of the historical novels Orphan #8 and Bachelor Girl. Her creative nonfiction essays have appeared in literary journals including Alaska Quarterly Review, CutBank, and So To Speak. Born in New York City, she earned a BA in English and history from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, and an MA and PhD in English from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is a Professor in the English Department at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, where she teaches writing.

Follow Kim: Facebook | Twitter

REVIEW

When I first heard about Bachelor Girl, there were a few things that immediately grabbed my attention! The first was the fact that it was set between 1920-1940 in New York, which I was really interested in reading about! The second was that the description mentioned that Colonel Jacob Ruppert was the owner of the New York Yankees...since I'm a sucker for baseball, that little fact pulled me in right away! Finally, I was very eager to see just what secrets all of the characters had!

I found Bachelor Girl to be a fairly quick read, but I have to admit that it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Based on the title and the book's description, I expected the book to mostly follow Helen, but instead it was a dual POV and the story also focused quite heavily on the Colonel's secretary, Albert. I quite liked Albert, but I didn't expect his part of the plot to be so large. Helen's story seemed to take a back-burner to his, and I actually felt like her character was pretty flat in comparison. I liked seeing how they both fit into the New York settings around them though, and I liked that both of them challenged the norms of the time. It definitely made me think!

One of the things that I felt were handled really well in Bachelor Girl was the passage of time. The prologue begins in 1939 at the reading of the Colonel's will, then we jump back to 1919 when Helen, Albert, and the Colonel all become intrinsically connected. Then it skips forward years at a time until we catch back up to 1939 and see what happens shortly after we find out that Helen has inherited the bulk of Jake's fortune and assets. Certain parts did move rather quickly, but they were established enough within the storyline that it didn't feel as if anything had been skipped whenever time moved forward.

I have to admit that what I loved most were all of the bits about the Yankees! I loved seeing the Colonel figure out how he was going to acquire Babe Ruth, and how Helen's brother, Rex, gushed over the sport and the players...mostly Babe Ruth. :P The little snippets about Yankee Stadium, the baseball games...especially the World Series, and the parts with the players were really neat and they definitely were unlike anything I've ever read in historical fiction. I might have to actively seek out more historical fiction with baseball now. :P

Overall, while I didn't quite enjoy Bachelor Girl as much as I'd hoped, I still found it to be an engaging read. It just wasn't quite what I expected. I was expecting more of a romance and for Helen to be a full-blown "bachelor girl." Someone who was very career-minded and independent, which she kind of was at first, but definitely wasn't by the end of the book. I do think that the writing was very strong and I loved that Kim van Alkemade challenged societal norms of New York during the Jazz Age and that she explored self-identity. I'd recommend Bachelor Girl to readers who enjoy historical fiction and love stories that revolve around love, family, and self discovery, especially readers who enjoy stories that challenge beliefs about sexuality, race, and gender.


Follow along with the Timeless Tour on the tour website, www.timelesstour.ca.



You can also find a tour schedule on my
[Timeless Tour] Kick Off Questions & Full Tour Schedule post.



What do you think?
Does Bachelor Girl sound like something you'd like to read?

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Monday, 16 April 2018

[Timeless Tour] Kick Off Questions and Full Tour Schedule!


Hey everyone! 

You might remember that last year I was part of a Timeless Tour with Simon & Schuster Canada. I was asked to join in again this year, and I jumped at the chance! I'm always eager to get my hands on some great works of historical fiction! I hope you're excited, too! :)

You can follow along with the Timeless Tour on the tour website, www.timelesstour.ca, and I've also created a master tour schedule down below. I'll update each of the blog links with the daily posts as the tour continues. :)

To kick off the Timeless Tour, we've all been asked to answer some time-related questions! Feel free to share your answers in the comments--I'd love to hear them! 


1. What do you love about historical fiction? 
I've always been a big fan of history—it was one of my favourite subjects in school and I always wanted to know more, so when I stumbled across historical fiction, I was immediately hooked! I love that it combines both my love of history and my general obsession with reading and books. I love that it transports you into another time, and I love being swept up in a time period through characters that authors create. I love historical fiction even more when you through in some romance...if you haven't guessed by now, I'm a real sucker for romance! ;)


2. If you could go back to any fictional (Outlander / Come from Away / Bellewether etc.) historical time, when would it be and why?
If I had to honestly go back in time...I just probably wouldn't. :P As much as I love camping and roughing it, I really value modern medicine, electricity, and plumbing. If I weren't being as practical though, I'd love to go back to one of two times.

The first would be any time during the Regency period while Jane Austen was writing her books. I'd love to live during the time that Pride & Prejudice and Emma were set during...I'd even take being a silent servant if I could just travel back and peek into the world. I adore all of Jane Austen's classics, but I'm also a big sucker for historical romances with all sorts of nobility, rogues, and rakes, so I'd love to see any of that!

The second period that I'd love to experience would be between 1900 and the 1920s. I'd probably want to be either in New York or London. New York with all of the splendor during the early 1900s and the Roaring Twenties would be amazing to see! I would've loved to see everything booming and growing. The only downside would be the fact that women wouldn't really have much freedom to be on their own at that time, but I'd still love to see it!


3. If you could have dinner, brunch, or coffee with three historical fiction characters, who would they be?
Hmmmm, this is tough!

Well, the easy part first! I'm going to choose to go for brunch because brunch is the best. :P

Now...how am I supposed to choose my brunch companions? Follow up question, does Elizabeth Bennet count as a historical fiction character even though she was a contemporary character when it was written?

I want her at brunch...so I'm saying she does! So, my first brunch buddy would be Elizabeth Bennet from Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. Lizzie is witty and would be a wonderful brunch companion! She's also definitely want to talk about books, which I would love!

Next, I'd invite Diana Gabaldon's amazing brainchild, Claire Fraser, because I'm an Outlander fangirl to the extreme and she, too, would be amazing to chat with over brunch! She's feisty, smart, and she'd have some amazing stories to share. I'd also cross my fingers that Jamie would pick Claire up from brunch just so that I the rest of us ladies could enjoy the eye candy. I'm sure Claire, being the absolute gem that she is, would oblige us. ;)

Now...for my third and final choice I'd pick Mary from Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl, which was actually the first historical fiction that I ever read. I considered picking Anne, but I actually really liked Mary—she was passionate, but practical, and I was really impressed with how she managed to make the best out of her situation. I was also going to make a joke about how she managed to keep her head of her shoulders when Anne didn't (sorry, while I resisted full-on making the bad beheading joke, I couldn't resist mentioning it at all haha)...but really, I just thought her character was so fascinating!

I think Lizzie, Claire, Mary and I would have an excellent time at brunch...we might even start a brunch book club. I can just imagine us all giggly at brunch drinking mimosas. Mary and I would definitely ply Lizzie with questions about Darcy and Claire with questions about Jamie, too. It'd be a grand ol' time! ;)

-----------

And that's a wrap on the kick off questions and my answers!!!

Follow along with the Timeless Tour on the tour website, www.timelesstour.ca

Don't miss any of the Timeless Tour—here's the full schedule:
( * denotes that the link has been updated to go directly to the relevant post)

WEEK 1:
APRIL 16
TOUR KICK OFF on all blogs.
You can check out the other bloggers's posts on their blogs:
☆ Joy @ Joyous Reads - Kick Off Post *
★ Jaclyn @ Literary Treats - Kick Off Post *
☆ Amanda @ Brains, Books, and Brawn - Kick Off Post *
★ Penny @ Literary Hoarders - Kick Off Post *

APRIL 17
★ Bachelor Girl: review – Ambur / Burning Impossibly Bright *
☆ Come From Away: written piece – Joy / Joyous Reads *
★ Bellewether: author Q&A – Penny / Literary Hoarders *
☆ Songs of Love and War: review – Amanda / Brains, Books, and Brawn *

APRIL 18
☆ Bachelor Girl: Author Q&A – Jaclyn / Literary Treats *
★ Come From Away: review – Penny / Literary Hoarders *
☆ Bellewether: written piece – Joy / Joyous Reads *
★ Songs of Love and War: review – Ambur / Burning Impossibly Bright *

APRIL 19
★ Bachelor Girl: written piece – Amanda / Brains, Books, and Brawn *
☆ Come From Away: author Q&A – Jaclyn / Literary Treats *
★ Bellewether: review – Joy / Joyous Reads *
☆ Songs of Love and War: written piece - Ambur / Burning Impossibly Bright *

APRIL 20
☆ Bachelor Girl: review – Penny / Literary Hoarders *
★ Come From Away: written piece – Amanda / Brains, Books, and Brawn *
☆ Bellewether: written piece – Ambur / Burning Impossibly Bright *
★ Songs of Love and War: author Q&A – Joy / Joyous Reads *


WEEK 2:
APRIL 23
★ Bachelor Girl: written piece – Ambur / Burning Impossibly Bright
☆ Come From Away: review – Joy / Joyous Reads
★ Bellewether: review – Jaclyn / Literary Treats
☆ Songs of Love and War: author Q&A – Penny / Literary Hoarders

APRIL 24
☆ Bachelor Girl: author Q&A – Penny / Literary Hoarders
★ Come From Away: review – Ambur / Burning Impossibly Bright
☆ Bellewether: review – Amanda / Brains, Books, and Brawn
★ Songs of Love and War: Written Piece – Jaclyn / Literary Treats

APRIL 25
★ Bachelor Girl: review – Amanda / Brains, Books, and Brawn
☆ Come From Away: author Q&A – Joy / Joyous Reads
★ Bellewether: written piece – Penny / Literary Hoarders
☆ Songs of Love and War: review – Jaclyn / Literary Treats

APRIL 26
☆ Bachelor Girl: Author Q&A – Ambur / Burning Impossibly Bright
★ Come From Away: review – Jaclyn / Literary Treats
☆ Bellewether: author Q&A – Joy / Joyous Reads
★ Songs of Love and War: written piece – Amanda / Brains, Books, and Brawn

APRIL 27
★ Bachelor Girl: written piece – Penny / Literary Hoarders
☆ Come From Away: review – Amanda / Brains, Books, and Brawn 
★ Bellewether: review – Ambur / Burning Impossibly Bright
☆ Songs of Love and War: review – Joy / Joyous Reads


WEEK 3:
APRIL 30
☆ Bachelor Girl: review – Joy / Joyous Reads
★ Come From Away: author written piece – Penny / Literary Hoarders
☆ Bellewether: author Q&A – Ambur / Burning Impossibly Bright
★ Songs of Love and War: author Q&A – Jaclyn / Literary Treats

MAY 1
★ Bachelor Girl: author written piece – Jaclyn / Literary Treats
☆ Come From Away: Author Q&A – Amanda / Brains, Books, and Brawn
★ Bellewether: review – Penny / Literary Hoarders
☆ Songs of Love and War: written piece - Joy / Joyous Reads

MAY 2
☆ Bachelor Girl: Author Q&A - Joy / Joyous Reads
★ Come From Away: author Q&A – Ambur / Burning Impossibly Bright
☆ Bellewether: written piece – Amanda / Brains, Books, and Brawn
★ Songs of Love and War: review – Penny / Literary Hoarders

MAY 3
★ Bachelor Girl: review – Jaclyn / Literary Treats
☆ Come From Away: written piece – Ambur / Burning Impossibly Bright
★ Bellewether: author Q&A – Amanda / Brains, Books, and Brawn
☆ Songs of Love and War: Written Piece – Penny / Literary Hoarders

MAY 4
☆ Bachelor Girl: written piece – Joy / Joyous Reads
★ Come From Away: author Q&A – Penny / Literary Hoarders
☆ Bellewether: author Q&A – Jaclyn / Literary Treats
★ Songs of Love and War: author Q&A – Amanda / Brains, Books, and Brawn


So, what do you think? 
Are you excited for the Timeless Tour? 
And what would your answers to these questions be:
  1. What do you love about historical fiction?
  2. If you could go back to any fictional (Outlander / Come from Away / Bellewether etc.) historical time, when would it be and why?
  3. If you could have dinner, brunch, or coffee with three historical fiction characters, who would they be?
I hope you have so much fun following along with this tour, I know I can't wait to be a part of it!

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Friday, 13 April 2018

Cover Reveal: MISTER TONIGHT by Kendall Ryan


I'm thrilled to share the cover for MISTER TONIGHT with you all! This swoony new romantic standalone from New York Times bestselling author Kendall Ryan is releasing on JUNE 18th!

Keep scrolling and you'll see the sexy cover and get to peek at the seriously tempting description! :D


MISTER TONIGHT

By Kendall Ryan

Release Day – June 18


✦  ✦  ✦

DESCRIPTION

From New York Times bestselling author Kendall Ryan comes a standalone romance about a swoony single dad and the new neighbor he falls for.

Last night was the most embarrassing night of my life.

I was THAT girl.

You know, the highly intoxicated chick celebrating her thirtieth with her two best friends—the ones who are happily married. And the more I drank, the more I wanted to do something reckless to celebrate.

By reckless, I meant the sexy and alluring man dressed in a business suit standing near the bar. You know his type—tall, dark, and handsome. I was sure he was out of my league, but I'd had just enough alcohol that things like that no longer seemed to matter. I'm not fat, mind you, but you can tell I like French fries, so there's that.

He took me home and I enjoyed the hottest birthday sex of my life, well until it came to a screeching, and rather unwelcome halt.

There's nothing quite like being interrupted mid-ride with a little voice asking:

"What are you doing to my daddy?"

Just kill me now…... or so I thought.

Come to find out the man I rode like a bull at the rodeo is my new landlord.

Click on this image to see the FULL cover jacket!
P R E - O R D E R   N O W

✦Audio ➜  Coming soon by Andi Arndt & Sebastian York
About KENDALL RYAN

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world. She's a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she's appeared at #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world. Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than three dozen times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

Visit her at: www.kendallryanbooks.com for the latest book news, and fun extras



What do you think?
Have you added Mister Tonight to your to-read list?

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