SECOND CHANCES Blog Tour: Review + Excerpt

Source: Received an egalley from the publisher to
participate in the blog tour and give an honest review.
Publisher: Romance Writers of America, Inc.
Release Date: September 12, 2017
Number of Pages: 399 (Kindle edition)

DESCRIPTION

Do you believe in second chances?

Romance Writers of America® brings together seventeen of today's hottest authors in an anthology of never-before-published tales that reveal true love always deserves a happy ending.

Follow New York Times best-selling authors J. Kenner and Christina Lauren back to reader-favorite worlds.

New York Times bestseller Alyssa Day sprinkles djinn magic in her humorous paranormal romance, while Rachel Hauck brings the enchantment of the holidays in her New Year’s Eve contemporary love story.

And Liliana Hart delivers thrills and adventure in her hero and heroine's search for the impossible.

With characters who find love through tough situations, in elegant 1800s ballrooms, with an old friend who shows up when least expected, at a tender age when cliques and homework get in the way of relationships, or after a random encounter in an unlikely setting, Second Chances delivers romance to strike every reader’s fancy.

Plus tales from:

• Marilyn Brant
• Kerri Carpenter
• CiCi Coughlin
• Cassandra Dean
• Tina Ferraro
• Renee Luke
• Ariella Moon
• Brandi Willis Schreiber
• Lizzie Shane
• Sharon Sobel
• Damon Suede
• Tara Wyatt

B U Y    L I N K S:

Avon | Amazon US | Amazon Canada | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

*N O T E*
Second Chances releases on September 12th, but if you pre-order it early, you can get the anthology at a special price of $3.99!

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REVIEW

I've always been a sucker for a good second chance romance, so when I saw that RWA was putting together an anthology titled, Second Chances, I jumped at the chance to read it! I actually didn't look at the author list until I was about to start reading it...and when I saw that the first story in the anthology was written by Christina Lauren, I was thrilled! :D 

To be honest, I don't typically read anthologies all the way through, but with this one I did! I did it because I wanted to give the entire anthology a fair shot, and I actually really enjoyed the stories and wanted to keep reading it, too. As I've hinted already, the Second Chances anthology starts off with a story by one of my favourite authors, Christina Lauren! It was titled "The Fisher Men: Levi's Story" and it featured, you guessed it!--Finn's brother, Levi! Levi is one of the secondary characters from their Wild Seasons series, and this anthology was worth reading for me for their story alone. I absolutely LOVED Levi's story and I only wish that it had been longer! haha ;) 

Other than Christina Lauren, I hadn't actually read anything by any of the other authors in this anthology until I read their short stories here, but I enjoyed them all. I definitely liked some more than others, but they all had their merits and I think this anthology would be great for all romance readers, especially if you're already a fan of any of these wonderful authors! I was surprised that two of my other standout favourites in the anthology were the historical romances: "Scandalous" by Cassandra Dean, and "The Jilt" by Sharon Sobel. And the last few stories had me tearing up, especially "The Family Tree" by Brandi Willis Schreiber! The final story in the anthology, "Jake's Djinn" by Alyssa Day also surprised me! It's the only fantasy story in the anthology so it felt a little out of place at first, but I loved it (made me want to go back and read the author's books from the same series)!

I think what I loved most about this anthology was that the authors interpreted second chances in different ways. Most of them were what you would expect, couples that had their time together, had some kind of breakup/separation, and they came back together, but they were all still completely unique which I really loved! Other were second chances of another sort, which was interesting! I also loved that there was a mix of genres. Some were contemporary, others were historical, and as I previously mentioned, there was even one fantasy! The age range varied too. A couple of the stories were young adult and were sweeter, light romances, while others were a bit steamier and were aimed at a more mature audience. Most of the stories were m/f romances, but there was one m/m, and all of the stories were definitely adorable! Some of them had me laughing, others had me crying, but they all left me smiling in the end!

Overall, I really loved the Second Chances anthology! I don't think you necessarily have to read all of the stories at once--it would be a great anthology to come back to whenever you were craving a quickie romantic novella, but if you do choose to read them all in one go, like I did, I don't think you'll be disappointed! This is the perfect anthology for anyone who has a romantic side, and loves happy ever afters!

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Did I sell you on this anthology yet?? Nope?!

Well, here's an excerpt to tempt you all....

EXCERPT

From "Under a Burning Sky" by Renee Luke

[Following a tragedy, Mika Montrell turned her back on her family, her friends--and her husband. Three years later he leaves her a voicemail with four ominous words: "We need to talk."]

Mika sucked in a deep breath and tried to remember her husband during happier times. To remember how she loved him once—still—and how it felt to be loved by him. For so long, she’d only been able to remember the pain and horror on his beautiful face. How his light brown eyes had been tortured and twisted in loss and agony. She forced a memory of their wedding day. A memory of his smile—warm, welcoming. Engaging.

Drawing strength from the vision, she opened her eyes and returned the call.

It only rang once. “Mika?” His voice was deep, rough. The same languid drawl she’d adored whispered in her ear. A shiver danced across her skin.

Taking a moment, she replied. “Yeah, Rye, it’s me.”

Silence stretched. She could hear him breathing. Hear her pulse pounding in her ears. After what felt like forever, she heard him clear his throat.

“I wasn’t sure if this was still your number.”

“I was in the shower.”

Her husband remained silent as heat burned on her cheeks, realizing she’d just told him something as intimate as being completely naked. Her nipples beaded up tight, but Mika rolled her eyes at herself and pulled the towel more firmly around her chest. Must have been the air conditioner on full blast. Nothing else. Definitely not hearing Rye’s voice reverberate through her.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she continued, “You said we needed to talk. It’s been a long time, Rye. A long time … I figured I owed you at least a return call.”

“Baby, you owe me a hell of a lot more than that.”

Author bio

Renee Luke has been writing poems and stories since she first learned to write. After getting a box of Harlequins delivered by mistake, her love of romance novels blossomed from an obsession of reading into the desire to write her own stories of the heart. She writes keeping-it-real erotic romances featuring funky (sub) urban characters that get-their-groove-on and give up their hearts. She strives to write stories that both stimulate physically and satisfy emotionally. A believer in happily-ever-afters, she’s definitely found her own, living in Northern California with her children and her own real life her USMC husband. ​

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If you'd like to follow the rest of the Second Chances Blog Tour,
you can find the schedule, HERE!

What do you think?

Does the Second Chances anthology sound like something you'd like? 

Are any of these romance authors your favourites?

And do you have any anthologies that you love?

Author Interview: Sarina Bowen & Sarah Mayberry (Authors of TEMPORARY)

I was lucky enough to get an advanced reader's copy of Sarina Bowen and Sarah Mayberry's upcoming release, TEMPORARY. I'll be sharing my review next week, but I can tell you that I loved it!!! I was also given the chance to interview Sarina and Sarah, too!! 

TEMPORARY releases next week on September 12th, but in the meantime, I have my little interview to share with you all! Hopefully it'll get you as excited about TEMPORARY as I am! 

First, here's a bit about the book! Keep reading for the interview and to find out how you can connect to Sarina and Sarah online. :)

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TEMPORARY
by Sarina Bowen & Sarah Mayberry
Pub date: September 12, 2017



Description:

The most beautiful man I've ever seen is the one who can ruin everything...

The first time I lay eyes on Callan Walker, I know he’ll be trouble. With his smug grin, hot Aussie accent and thousand dollar shoes, he’s just the kind of rich guy who always gets what he wants.

And he wants two things: a night of sin, and my cooperation as he outmaneuvers his powerful mother to take control of his uncle’s estate.

I can’t afford either one. I’m the only thing standing between my little sister and the foster care system. He may have money and charm on his side, but I have something even more powerful -- pure desperation. This temp job at his mother’s company can become a full time job for me. It has to.

But when Callan’s eyes rake over my body, sometimes I forget my obligations. His piercing gaze finds the fun, optimistic girl I used to be and not the tired person I’ve become.

And it works--if only for a moment. Our night together was a mistake. I can't afford to get sucked into his high-powered family’s treachery. But the closer I get to Callan, the more layers I find beneath those expensive clothes. Though I can’t forget this is temporary. He’s temporary. I have too much to lose.

Too bad my foolish heart didn’t get the memo...

Purchase Links:
Amazon | Amazon.ca | iBooks | Kobo | B&N

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INTERVIEW

1. How does your writing process differ when you’re co-writing versus writing solo?



   
   Sarah: I’m much more dedicated when I know Sarina is waiting for me to pass the baton at the end of the day! And it’s great having someone else to nut problems out with.
   
   Sarina: Yes! I’m more focused when I’m co-writing because I know that Sarah is waiting to see what I’ll do. So I become fearless, because I need those words on the page.
2. Where do you find inspiration for your stories?
   
   Sarah: Everywhere and everywhere. Stories in the paper, something a friend tells me, a conversation overheard on the train, a book I read years ago….



   
   Sarina: Absolutely. As Nora Ephron said, “everything is copy.”
3. As an avid music fan, I always love seeing and listening to an author’s playlist for the books they write. Do you listen to music while writing at all?



   
   Sarah: I can’t! I need silence to write. In fact, I block out everything, to the point where it drives my husband crazy. So music would be wasted on me!
   
   Sarina: Sadly, I’m the same. And even when I find a song has influenced me in some way, I don’t usually reveal that. Music is so personal that if I cite a band my reader hates, it might taint the book for her.
4. I’m ALWAYS looking for new romance recs, so what are some of your favourite romances and romance authors?



   
   Sarah: Anything by Lisa Kleypas, both her historicals and contemporaries. Kirstan Higgins is amazing. Marie Force. Victoria Dahl… I could go on and on.
   
   Sarina: Lately I’ve discovered Avon Gale and Serena Bell.
5. If you had to give a quickie elevator pitch for your upcoming release, TEMPORARY, what would you say?
   
   Hot Aussie playboy, determined New York heroine, fabulous art, great wine, and a poodle who never met a crotch she didn’t like. 

About the Authors

SARINA BOWEN is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. She lives in Vermont's Green Mountains with her family, six chickens and too much ski gear and hockey equipment.

In 2016, Sarina became a Rita Award winner! The Romance Writers of America honored HIM by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy with Best Contemporary Romance, Mid-Length.

Connect to Sarina: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Sarindipity FB Group | Newsletter Signup

SARAH MAYBERRY lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her partner of nearly twenty years (who has recently become her husband!). When she's not in her pajamas eating peanut butter sandwiches and typing away madly on her latest story, she enjoys reading, cooking, sleeping, pilates, going to the movies and shopping. Not necessarily in that order!

Some of Sarah's favorite authors are Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Rachel Gibson, Karina Bliss, Mary Balogh, Julie James, Sherry Thomas, Meredith Duran, and Loretta Chase. Her favorite movie is When Harry Met Sally, although she is also very fond of His Girl Friday and Something About Mary.

Sarah loves to hear from readers via her website at www.sarahmayberry.com

 Connect to Sarah: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter Signup

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What do you think?

Did Sarina and Sarah sell you on TEMPORARY with that pitch?

Review: CHASING RED (Red #1) by Isabelle Ronin

Source: Received from Netgalley.
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: September 5, 2017


Description:

Find out why millions of readers love Chasing Red

Chasing Red is the Wattpad phenomenon with over 130 million reads, and one million reads each week. Revised and with new original content, it will be published in two volumes, Chasing Red and Always Red. New readers and fans alike will fall in love with Red and Caleb--over and over again.

HER HEART MIGHT BE THE ONE THING HE CAN'T WIN...
When cynical straight-A college student Veronica "Red" Strafford gets kicked out of her apartment, notorious basketball player Caleb Lockhart offers her a place to stay. Intensely drawn to her, Caleb wants something for the first time in his life. But Veronica's painful past makes trusting difficult, and her heart might just be the one thing Caleb can't win.

They said she was going to be my ruin...then let her ruin me.

Purchase Links:
Indigo | Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com

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REVIEW

Well, well, well! This book was a crazy whirlwind and I loved every moment of it! CHASING RED is described as addictive and that's so incredibly fitting—I couldn't put it down!!

I know not everyone enjoys romances with dual POVs, but I've always been loved them. I love getting to see both sides of the romance and I love knowing what's going on in both characters' heads. In this case, I thought that the dual POV worked perfectly! I loved seeing what Caleb was thinking and I loved getting to see Veronica/Red's thoughts, too! I loved both characters so much, and Caleb is definitely on my ever-growing list of book boyfriends. ;)

As I said, I loved getting to see Caleb's POV, too. He's a bit of an open book so he wasn't as hard to read as Red was, but I loved seeing him work through his feelings for her. I pretty much loved everything about Caleb though, he was charismatic, generous, and funny and goofy--he was constantly making me smile. He wasn't experienced when it came to relationships, but he was honest and so adorable when he was trying to show Red how much he cared...seriously my feelings were constantly on high alert and I said "Awww Caleb" more times than I can count. :p

Now that I've gushed about Caleb, I have to let you know that I loved Red, too. I don't want to get into too much detail about her though because I'm trying to avoid any spoilers, but she does have trust issues and I admired her for how she tried to move away from her past. I still feel like she's a bit of a mystery, but I loved her sense of humour and I loved how she interacted with Caleb and her friends. I loved her friends Kara and Beth and Caleb's best friend, Cameron, too. I'm most looking forward to seeing more of Red and Caleb in the sequel, but I'm thrilled to get more of their friends, too.

So I've gushed about the characters, but now, you're wondering about the story right? The story was definitely dramatic, which I'm not always a fan of, but I liked it here. It kept me on my toes and I couldn't stop reading because I NEEDED to know what would happen next. It seems to be a bit of a trend that romances that are broken up into duets or series like this end on crazy cliffhangers and this one wasn't an exception to that. The ending hit me right in the feels. It left me desperate for the sequel and now I'm just going to be sitting her waiting for ALWAYS RED because I need to know what happens next for Caleb and Red...I need to know you guys!

If you can't tell...I loved CHASING RED! It wasn't perfect (what book is really?), but it was exactly what I wanted in a slow-burning new adult romance! It was intense, full of drama, and it gave me so many feelings. It made me gush and grin when it was sweet and it tore at my heartstrings when the drama was in full-swing! I loved every single moment of this book and if you love slow-burn, sweet yet sexy romances full of drama, I think you'll love this one too! ;)

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This book comes out next week, and the sequel is out a couple of months later, on November 7th!

What do you think?
Does Chasing Red sound like a book you'd like?
Who's excited for Chasing Red to release?

Review: MISTER HOCKEY (Hellions Angels #1) by Lia Riley

Source: Edelweiss
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Release Date: July 11, 2017
Number of Pages: 256 (ebook)


Description:

Her biggest fantasy is about to become a reality. . .

Jed West is Mr. Hockey. The captain of the NHL’s latest winning team, the Denver Hellions–and the hottest player on the ice—at least according to every magazine. .and Breezy Angel. Breezy has been drooling over Jed at games for years, and he plays a starring role in her most toe-curling fantasies. But dirty dreams don’t come true, right?

Then Jed saunters through the doors of her library, a last minute special guest for a summer reading event, and not only is he drop dead gorgeous up close, his personality is straight up swoon-worthy. He even comes to the rescue when she has an R-rated “Super Book Worm” costume malfunction. But when he mistakenly assumes she’s more into books than pucks, she’s too flustered to correct his mistake. And then comes a big kiss, followed by a teensy-tiny problem. Jed’s dating policy is simple: Never date a fan.

So what’s a fangirl going to have to do to convince her ultimate crush that he’s become less of a perfect fantasy, and more like the perfect man. . .for her?

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REVIEW

I'm a HUGE sports romance fan, so when I saw MISTER HOCKEY available for review on Edelweiss, I jumped at the chance to read it! I'm always looking for new sports romances and authors who write it because I just can't get enough! Lia Riley was a new author to me when I started MISTER HOCKEY, so I thought that it would be the perfect book to introduce me to her and I ended up really enjoying it!!

At this point, I've read quite a few sports romances! Not many of them have been laugh-out-loud funny though, but MISTER HOCKEY had me constantly laughing! Parts of it were outrageously silly, but I still couldn't help chuckling while reading⎯no matter how silly it got! From the blurb and the heroine's name (Breezy), I was expecting a lighter book right from the start, but I was still a bit surprised by how quirky and silly it was. When I first started reading I thought it was so outrageous  that I actually wasn't sure if I'd end up liking it, but it really grew on me! Breezy's euphemisms and strange sayings ended up making me laugh so much—and I still chuckle when I think, "Holy guacamole with a side of chips!" So beware, if you start MISTER HOCKEY and find it really goofy, give it a bit of time! Once the romance gets rolling, you might get as hooked as I did!

Part of the reason that I found the book pretty silly was that Breezy was super quirkier (she seriously takes quirky to a whole new level!), but I loved that she was a major bookworm, and I could definitely relate to her epic crush on Jed. And Jed...I loved Jed! He was sweet, thoughtful, generous...and super sexy, too! I loved that Breezy and Jed had the most awkwardly-adorable meet-cute and I got a major kick out of the ridiculous antics that followed! Their dynamics were great, and they had amazing chemistry! I did feel like their romance was a little rushed⎯it only takes place over a couple of weeks, but I still thought it was adorable, and I loved how cute they were together!! This is by no means a realistic romance, but it was super cute nonetheless. ;)

 Overall, MISTER HOCKEY had its dramatic moments⎯what story wouldn't when the romance involves a couple where the heroine starts out as a mega-fan of the hero⎯but I still thought it was adorable! MISTER HOCKEY was quirky, light, fun, and outrageously funny! I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a romance that isn't too serious, especially for readers looking for something to make them smile and laugh!

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What do you think?
Are you a fan of quirky stories?
And does anyone else actively search out new books and authors in their favourite genres or sub-genres? If you do, what do you look for?

Review: WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI by Sandhya Menon

Source: Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: May 30, 2017
Number of Pages: 380 (Hardcover)


Description:

A New York Times bestseller

The rom-com that everyone’s talking about! Eleanor & Park meets Bollywood in this hilarious and heartfelt novel about two Indian-American teens whose parents conspire to arrange their marriage.

Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

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REVIEW

I'm an absolute sucker for anything rom-com related, and I've been wanting to read more diverse books, so as soon as I heard about When Dimple Met Rishi, I immediately added it to my to-read list! This book has been highly buzzed about so I was a little worried that it might not live up to my expectations, but it completely delivered for me, and I thought it was adorable and really loved it!

I tend to read books really quickly when I'm loving them, but with When Dimple Met Rishi, I forced myself to slow down. I wanted to really enjoy the story, and to take my time with it, especially since I was really loving how Dimple and Rishi's relationship developed. I thought that both Dimple and Rishi were fantastic characters! While I thought that the romance was absolutely adorable, I loved that the story was about more than just romance. It was about family dynamics, cultural and societal pressures, friendship, self-acceptance, pursuing your passions, and so much more! I'm definitely a sucker for romance, and I loved that part of the story, but what I enjoyed most was that Dimple and Rishi's relationship was about so much more than just romance. The both grew so much throughout the story, and I loved that they helped push each other to become their best selves.

I will say that I did get a little confused with the timeline of the book while reading though...time passed in a weird way so I honestly was a little confused about the timing between certain scenes, but while that made me wrinkle my brow in confusion a little bit, it didn't stop me from loving the book.

Overall, I thought that When Dimple Met Rishi was fantastic and adorably perfect! It had me laughing, smiling...sometimes cringing, and it constantly had me glued to the page! If you're looking for a sweet, diverse romantic comedy that delves into some deeper topics while staying light and fluffy, then this is a book for you!

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Have you read When Dimple Met Rishi yet?
If you have, what did you think?
And if you haven't, do you plan to read it?