Tag: Penguin

Can’t Wait Wednesday: Fight or Flight by Samantha Young

Posted August 15, 2018 by Rowena in Features | 6 Comments

Can’t Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and it was based on the meme Waiting on Wednesday that was hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Can’t Wait Wednesday: Fight or Flight by Samantha YoungFight or Flight
by Samantha Young
Published by Penguin, Berkley on October 9, 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 288
Add It: Goodreads


A series of chance encounters leads to a sizzling new romance from the

New York Times

bestselling author of the On Dublin Street series.

The universe is conspiring against Ava Breevort. As if flying back to Phoenix to bury a childhood friend wasn't hell enough, a cloud of volcanic ash traveling from overseas delayed her flight back home to Boston. Her last ditch attempt to salvage the trip was thwarted by an arrogant Scotsman, Caleb Scott, who steals a first class seat out from under her. Then over the course of their journey home, their antagonism somehow lands them in bed for the steamiest layover Ava's ever had. And that's all it was--until Caleb shows up on her doorstep.

When pure chance pulls Ava back into Caleb's orbit, he proposes they enjoy their physical connection while he's stranded in Boston. Ava agrees, knowing her heart's in no danger since a) she barely likes Caleb and b) his existence in her life is temporary. Not long thereafter Ava realizes she's made a terrible error because as it turns out Caleb Scott isn't quite so unlikeable after all. When his stay in Boston becomes permanent, Ava must decide whether to fight her feelings for him or give into them. But even if she does decide to risk her heart on Caleb, there is no guarantee her stubborn Scot will want to risk his heart on her....

Samantha Young made her way onto my auto-buy list when I started reading her On Dublin Street series. With each release, I read and fell in love with her writing more and more. It hasn’t always been a good ride but the books that I did love, have held her firmly on my auto-buy list. This book sounds like all kinds of good and I trust Samantha Young to deliver a fabulous contemporary romance that I won’t be able to put down.

I can’t wait to jump in. Don’t forget to pre-order your copy!

Pre-Order the Book

Fight or Flight by Samantha Young
Releases on October 9, 2018
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Books

What books can’t you wait for this week? Are you excited to read Fight or Flight by Samantha Young like me?

6 Comments
Tags: , , , , ,

Review: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Posted July 6, 2018 by Rowena in Reviews | 8 Comments

Review: The Kiss Quotient by Helen HoangThe Kiss Quotient
by Helen Hoang
Series: The Kiss Quotient #1
Published by Penguin, Berkley on June 5, 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Point of View:Alternating Third Person
Pages: 336
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Add It: Goodreads
five-stars

A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there's not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.

Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases--a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice--with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can't afford to turn down Stella's offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan--from foreplay to more-than-missionary position...

Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all the other things he's making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic...

It took me a really long time to read The Kiss Quotient and when I finally did, I wanted to kick myself in the tits because it was the most complete romance that I’ve read in a long time. Sure, I read and gave some 5 stars already this year but those books weren’t complete stories. Burn for Me was amazing and I adored it to pieces but the beginning was a little slow and there was so much information that it took me a while to figure things out but that wasn’t the case with The Kiss Quotient. Right from the very beginning, I was hooked.

There were a lot of things that I wasn’t prepared for when we meet Stella Lane. She’s a high functioning autistic heroine and that’s a huge part of her and a big part of the story. The author does a great job of making the reader understand what a person with Aspergers goes through and lives with every day. She doesn’t bring it up and then brush it under the rug. The reader lives through Stella’s days and in her thoughts and I couldn’t help but connect with her. There was never any middle ground with her, she was either indifferent or obsessed and I found that understanding these things about Stella helped me to care about her a lot deeper than I thought I would.

“All the things that make you different make you perfect.”

My book boyfriend for this week goes straight to Michael Phan because he was everything that I hoped for and everything that I wish for in real life. I’m not going to lie and say that I wasn’t prepared to like a male escort hero as much as I did for reasons I don’t even know but Helen Hoang gave Michael a story that anybody would come to love.

There’s a lot to love about Michael. He had dreams and he aspirations that he had to put on hold so that he could pick up the broken pieces of his family that his father left behind. He became the head of his family and took that position very seriously. He did whatever needed to be done to make sure that everyone he loved was safe, protected and well cared for. He put himself last at every turn and when Stella came into his life, he tried to do the same with her.

I loved seeing Michael fall in love with Stella because it was slow and it was sure. He understood Stella a lot more than anyone else did and he loved every single thing about her. He was patient with her and he was careful with her and he just won me over at every turn.

Here’s who I pictured as Michael Phan and I already know that it’s perfect because it’s mentioned in the book that he was a dead ringer for Daniel Henney and…*swoon*

Overall, this was an amazing story about a high functioning autistic heroine and the male escort that fell in love with her. This Pretty Woman storyline worked its magic on me and I have every confidence that it will do the same to you. Give it a try, I don’t think you’ll regret it.

Final Grade

5 out of 5

Buy the Book

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Play

The Kiss Quotient Series

>

five-stars

8 Comments
Tags: , , , , , , ,

Eye Candy Friday: Daniel Quinn from Before You Break by Christina Lee

Posted October 20, 2017 by Rowena in Features | 0 Comments

I really enjoyed this series back when I read it and Quinn was my absolute favorite hero in all of the books and that’s because he’s freaking awesome. His story will captivate you and it will hurt your heart but don’t worry because Christina Lee will build your heart right back up, she’s good like that.

Before You Break by Christina Lee

A sexy, emotional New Adult romance about a bad boy on the edge and a good girl about to lose control…

The star catcher of the college baseball team isn’t supposed to have skeletons in his closet. But Daniel Quinn is hiding a guilty past so dark he refuses to let anyone get close. Except there’s something about gorgeous, studious Ella Abrams that goes beyond the electric attraction between them—something that makes him want to open up.

Ella has suffered enough heartache and guilt to fill one of her psychology textbooks, but she keeps that part of herself hidden behind a bubbly exterior. Until she receives an anonymous call while working the suicide helpline and the voice on the other end touches something inside of her that she can’t ignore.

Soon Ella and Quinn’s physical connection heats up, even as their deep and revealing hotline talks intensify. But by the time Ella realizes that her seductive jock and her sensitive caller are the same guy, it might be too late to save him—or to stop herself from falling too far.

Quinn’s story was dark and sad but so full of hope and then to make things even better, he was a great guy. He said things like this:

“Don’t misunderstand, Ella. I want you. So fucking bad.” I gathered her face in my hands. “The day I can finally bury myself inside of you is the day I know for sure that you’re mine. All mine. Only mine. And anything other than that isn’t good enough.”

and this…

“I’m not going to kiss you, Ella. Not tonight.”

She sagged against me, her forehead landing on my shoulder.

“Kissing you would be too easy,” I whispered in her ear. “And you’re not a girl I want to be easy with.”

He made you want to root for him and cuddle him close, let him know that everything was going to be alright. He also made you want the hell out of him, too. You know, cause he’s hot as hell.

Here is Christina Lee’s muse for Quinn and I wholehearted support this casting. I could totally see Stefan Salvatore as baseball hottie, Daniel Quinn.

Overall, Before You Bread is one great book in a series of great books and I highly recommend the books if you’re in the mood for fabulous New Adult romances. They’re good, I promise!

Buy the Book

Before You Break by Christina Lee
February 18, 2014
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Series Order

Until next week…enjoy!

0 Comments
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Mini Review Round Up (7)

Posted October 19, 2017 by Rowena in Features, Reviews | 4 Comments

Mini Review Round Up (7)Something about You
by Julie James
Published by Penguin on March 2, 2010
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Point of View:Alternating Third Person
Pages: 307
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Add It: Goodreads
four-stars

Fate has thrown two sworn enemies...

Of all the hotel rooms rented by all the adulterous politicians in Chicago, female Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Lynde had to choose the one next to 1308, where some hot-and-heavy lovemaking ends with a death. And of all the FBI agents in Illinois, it had to be Special Agent Jack Pallas who gets assigned to this high-profile homicide. The same Jack Pallas who still blames Cameron for a botched crackdown three years ago—and for nearly ruining his career.

Into each other's arms...

Work with Cameron Lynde? Are they kidding? Maybe, Jack thinks, this is some kind of welcome-back prank after his stint away from Chicago. But it's no joke; the pair is going to have to put their rocky past behind them and focus on the case at hand. That is, if they can cut back on the razor-sharp jibes—and smother the flame of their sizzling-hot sexual tension.

2017 is the year of the re-read for me because I’ve been re-reading a bunch. I re-read the two books that I’ll be reviewing today for my book club. My book club is freaking awesome. We don’t read any of those Oprah book club books that depress the hell out of me (well, the ones that I’ve read). We read, for the most part, romance novels. My favorites. Each month, a different member of our book club picks a romance novel that they want to read together and we read then discuss. Having a romance novel book club that meets once a month brings on so much flippin’ fun.

Anyway, we read this book and it was met with a lot of praise. This was a fun romance with great characters and a romance that hit all of the right buttons. I still feel a bit let down that we didn’t get any scenes with Jack and the family that he wanted to spend more time with but other than that, this was a solid romance with a suspense plot that will have you turning the pages faster than you can read.

I adored both Jack and Cameron and enjoyed seeing them come together in love. I loved seeing them hate each other and then go soft for each other. The passion and the chemistry was sizzling in this one and it’s always a treat to read.

My Rating

4.25 out of 5

Mini Review Round Up (7)A Lot Like Love
by Julie James
Published by Penguin on March 1, 2011
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Point of View:Alternating Third Person
Pages: 259
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Add It: Goodreads
four-half-stars

The FBI wants her cooperation...

As the daughter of a billionaire and the owner of the city's top wine store, Jordan Rhodes is invited to the most exclusive parties in Chicago. But there's only one party the FBI wants to crash: the charity fundraiser of a famous restaurateur, who also happens to launder money for the mob. In exchange for her brother's release from prison, Jordan is going to be there—with a date supplied by the Bureau.

Agent McCall just wants her...

As the top undercover agent in Chicago, Nick McCall has one rule: never get personal. This "date" with Jordan Rhodes is merely an assignment—one they're both determined to pull off even if they can't be together for five minutes before the sarcasm and sparks begin to fly. But when Nick's investigation is compromised, he and Jordan have no choice but to pretend they're a couple, and what starts out as a simple assignment begins to feel a lot like something more.

This was another re-read for my book club and I do believe it’s a done deal. This is my favorite book in the FBI-US Attorney’s series. I just adore the hell out of Nick and Jordan. Nick is seriously my kind of hero and I just love how large and in charge he was. I also liked how well Jordan suited him. How they suited each other.

Nick and Jordan have to pretend to be together to trap the bad guy and get Jordan’s brother out of jail. They were supposed to pretend to be together but when feelings start cropping up, things start getting real and I enjoyed the hell out of Nick and Jordan’s adventure to true love. There’s lots to recommend this story. Charming characters, a strong heroine and a hero that is swoonworthy plus a romance that sizzles. This one is a book that I plan on re-reading over and over again over the coming years. I just love this book a lot.

My one gripe remains the same gripe from my other reads of this book. I really wish we had gotten to see Nick interact with his family. It was great hearing about his siblings and parents from Nick himself but gosh I would have loved a trip to New York to visit his Ma and deliver his birthday gift to her. An introduction of Jordan to the family. That would have been the icing on this great cake. Still, this book was the bomb.

My Rating

4.5 out of 5

FBI-US Attorneys Series


four-stars

4 Comments
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Eye Candy Friday: Bran Lawless from Satisfaction by Lexi Blake

Posted January 20, 2017 by Rowena in Features | 2 Comments

ECF

It’s been a while since I’ve written up an Eye Candy Friday post and I can chalk that up to being extremely lazy. I haven’t been in the mood to do much writing but that seems to be behind me because I was inspired to start this feature up again with the books that I’ve been reading lately.

Brandon Lawless is the youngest Lawless siblings and he’s the fighter in the Lawless bunch. Their parents were killed when they were kids then they were separated and IMO, I thought Bran had it the worst of the bunch. He was kept in the system for longer than the others and he suffered through some of the toughest things a kid ever faces. He’s got a savior complex where he plays the protector to women who are bullied or abused by men. The complex stems from failing to save his friend Mandy where they were kids and he hasn’t ever forgiven himself for her death.

His book is the second book in the Lawless series by Lexi Blake and his book information is:

Satisfaction by Lexi Blake
Series: Lawless #2
Release Date: January 3, 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Penguin, Berkley
Pages: 384

The sizzling second novel in a sexy new contemporary romance series featuring the Lawless siblings—from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake.

Brandon Lawless is a man on a mission: obtain the information that will clear his father’s name. He’s willing to do whatever it takes—even seduce his enemy’s personal assistant, the beautiful and innocent Carly Hendricks. But with her beguiling smile and captivating intelligence, Brandon soon realizes he doesn’t want to deceive Carly, he wants to win her over—both in the boardroom and the bedroom.

Then a twisted crime leaves Carly vulnerable and Brandon finds himself reeling. The stakes of his mission are now life or death—Carly’s life. And Brandon realizes he’s lost his heart to an amazing woman and his plan must succeed, because the stakes are no longer just revenge, but a once in a lifetime love.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Bran’s personality really shines in his book though you could see it in the first book, Ruthless as well. As much as I adored Riley in Ruthless, it was Bran that caught my interest from the very beginning. Sure, he fought a lot and he pissed his siblings off but at his core, Bran was one of the good guys.

This is what Bran looks like in my head:

He goes into marketing because that’s what his family needed him to be and I can totally see him coming home from work, loosening his tie and looking just…perfect.

I can totally see him giving Carly these bedroom eyes like whoa.

Here are some quotes from his book that made me love him all the more:

“Why would you do that?”

“Because my brother set up a trust for me a few yeras back and he manages it. It’s ridiculous but I’m worth a hundred million dollars. I won’t miss it and you need it. So it’s yours. I want you to work with me because you believe in the cause not because there’s no other way out of your problems.”

This guy had a million dollars in the bank to just drop on some woman to save her from her troubles. Why can’t I ever meet a guy that would drop that much on me? Haha, just kidding.

He reached out and grasped her wrist. She set the sandwiches down and he tugged her to him.

Maybe she wouldn’t see it as a weakness. Maybe she wouldn’t see him as something so broken he couldn’t be fixed.

“Bran,” she argued as she spilled onto his lap.

He wrapped an arm around her middle and drew her close, whispering in her ear. “It was horrible. I thought I was going to be sick for a moment. Please forgive me. I almost screwed everything up.”

Straight up. That’s how Bran was. There wasn’t any stubborn mule-headedness where he was concerned. He apologized when he messed up and he owned up to his mistakes. Sure he wasn’t perfect and sometimes stumbled but he always owned up to his shit and I loved that about him.

There are a crap load of other stuff that I could put in this post to back up why I love Bran so much but really, you should read the book yourself because Brandon Lawless is awesome. He’s a lover of women and protector of the innocent and I just loved the hell out of him.

Bran is one of the good ones and that is why he’s this week’s Eye Candy Friday. Until next week…check out where to buy his book.

Buy the Book

Satisfaction by Lexi Blake
January 3, 2017
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Series Order

Ruthless
Satisfaction
Revenge

2 Comments
Tags: , , , , ,