Tag: Random House

Can’t Wait Wednesday: Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith

Posted December 12, 2018 by Rowena in Features | 2 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: Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. SmithField Notes on Love
by Jennifer E. Smith
Published by Random House, Delacorte Press on March 5, 2019
Genres: Young Adult
Pages: 320
Add It: Goodreads

Having just been dumped by his girlfriend, British-born Hugo is still determined to take his last-hurrah-before-college train trip across the United States. One snag: the companion ticket is already booked under the name of his ex, Margaret Campbell. Nontransferable, no exceptions.

Enter the new Margaret C. (Mae for short), an aspiring filmmaker with big dreams. After finding Hugo's spare ticket offer online, she's convinced it's the perfect opportunity to expand her horizons.

When the two meet, the attraction is undeniable, and both find more than they bargained for. As Mae pushes Hugo to explore his dreams for his future, he'll encourage her to channel a new, vulnerable side of her art. But when life off the train threatens the bubble they've created for themselves, will they manage to keep their love on track?

I watched a movie earlier this year about a woman who wanted to surprise her boyfriend with a romantic trip and it backfired so hard on her. Instead of not going on the trip at all, she found someone who shared the same name as her ex-boyfriend and took him on the trip and fell in love with him. It was cheesy and the girl in the movie got on my hot damn nerves but I’m going to hope that Jennifer E. Smith handles this telling better. Fingers crossed.

It’s been a long while since I’ve read a Jennifer E. Smith book but this one made its way onto my radar after browsing Goodreads and I want to read it. It sounds super cute and Jennifer E. Smith hasn’t done me wrong yet so on my wishlist it goes.

Pre-Order the Book

Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith
Releases on March 5, 2019
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Books

Are you excited for more contemporary YA goodness from Jennifer E. Smith? Are there any other books you can’t wait for? Share in the comments!

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Buddy Review: Highlander Most Wanted by Maya Banks

Posted November 20, 2018 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Buddy Review: Highlander Most Wanted by Maya BanksHighlander Most Wanted
by Maya Banks
Narrator: Kirsten Potter
Series: The Montgomery's and Armstrongs #2
Also in this series: Never Seduce a Scot
Published by Random House, Ballantine on March 19, 2013
Genres: Historical, Romance
Point of View:Alternating Third Person
Pages: 352
Format: eBook, Audiobook
Source: Purchased
Length: 9 hours, 48 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
four-stars

In Highlander Most Wanted, a reclusive woman content to live in the shadows shows a Highland warrior the true meaning of love.

Genevieve McInnes is locked behind the fortified walls of McHugh Keep, captive of a cruel laird who takes great pleasure in ruining her for any other man. Yet when Bowen Montgomery storms the gates on a mission of clan warfare, Genevieve finds that her spirit is bent but not broken. Still, her path toward freedom remains uncertain. Unable to bear the shame of returning to a family that believes her dead or to abandon others at the keep to an imposing new laird, Genevieve opts for the peaceful life of an abbess. But Bowen’s rugged sensuality stirs something deep inside her that longs to be awakened by his patient, gentle caress—something warm, wicked, and tempting.

Bowen seizes his enemy’s keep, unprepared for the brooding and reclusive woman who captures his heart. He’s enchanted by her fierce determination, her unusual beauty, and her quiet, unfailing strength. But wooing her will take more than a seasoned seducer’s skill. For loving Genevieve, he discovers, means giving her back the freedom that was stolen from her—even if it means losing her forever.

Highlander Most Wanted is the second book in Maya Banks’ Montgomery’s and Armstrongs series. It picks up right where the first book in this series, Never Seduce a Scot leaves off and that’s where Bowen and Teague Montgomery, along with Aidan and Brodie Armstrong march to the McHugh keep to seek revenge for the abduction and abuse of their sister, Eveline Montgomery.

Bowen is tasked with running Laird Patrick McHugh down and killing him before taking over the keep and all of the lands. He expected to come in, handle business and then check out but what he finds at the McHugh keep changes those plans. He finds a clan without leadership and a young woman who intrigues him.

Genevieve McInnis has lived through things no woman should live through and she has suffered so much in her short life and all she wants is freedom. She wants to live the rest of her life out in peace and she needs to get to an abbey to make sure that happens. She wasn’t expecting Bowen Montgomery to throw all of those plans out the window when she met him. But love doesn’t always ask your permission.

Rowena: Tasha, Shy, and I are back at it again with another group review of our book club book of the month. This month’s book was a continuation from last month’s book so let’s get to it, shall we?

Alright guys, what did you guys think? Yay or nay?

Tasha: Meh, it was okay this second time around for me. I’m a sucker for happy endings, so this gets a yay.

Rowena: You know, the first time that I read it (a couple of weeks ago), I really enjoyed it. I cried, my heart broke and I was super happy with the story and then I did a re-read of the book before book club and the book was a lot more problematic for me.

There were so many things that I didn’t buy reading it the second time around. But first, let’s discuss the characters. What did you think about Bowen and Genevieve?

I enjoyed both of their characters. Bowen was the knight in shining armor that Genevieve needed and Genevieve had gone through too many things for me to hate her. My karma wouldn’t let me hate her. LOL.

Tasha: I’m with you on Bowen. It was easy for me to like him. I mean, what wasn’t there to like. He was very handsome, came from a strong clan, close to his siblings and he seemed to be fair person. His character was pretty consistent.

My heart initially went out to Genevieve. I truly felt bad for her and all that was done to her. But as the story went on, there were some things about Genevieve that really got on my nerves.

Shy: My opinion is a little skewed because as much as I loved Bowen in the first book, I ready to gut him halfway into this book. It made me cringe at how much of an idiot Bowen was in this book.

Genevieve, omg I felt for her whole situation. Okay, maybe I wanted or needed to kick her upside her head a few times. Why in the hell did she feel the need to continuously help those aikaes (assholes) that constantly made her life hell? We’re all strong but at some point, I would have given in and skinned a few of them.

Like you both, there were just a few too many things that didn’t really make sense to me.

Rowena: My issues stemmed around the romance and the lack of resolution with the members of the McHugh clan.

After everything that Genevieve suffered at the hands of Ian McHugh, the constant rape and abuse that went on for over a year, I thought the romance with Bowen happened too fast to be believable. She had known Bowen for a matter of weeks before they started sleeping together and I just didn’t quite believe that nothing triggered her. It felt, to me, like she was healed by Bowen’s magic peen.

The other thing that bothered me was that nobody stood up for Genevieve the way that Graeme stood up for Eveline, especially after those awful women stoned her. It really bothered me that nothing of consequence was done before Bowen took her away to the Montgomery keep. My bloodthirsty ass wanted all of them bitches to pay.

Tasha: I guess that’s why I’m so mad at Genevieve. After all she suffered, why did she bother standing up for them? She didn’t owe them anything. Why didn’t she shoot her bows and arrows and drop assholes left and right? She didn’t have any problem laying Patrick out with her arrows? Why not everyone else?

Remember how upset I was at Graeme for letting his clan mistreat Eveline for so long? The thing is, those people were Graeme’s people. The McHughs weren’t Bowen’s people. These guys swooped in and took over their clan. Bowen didn’t know those people, he didn’t know if he could trust Genevieve. There was no way he could demand the bullying and name calling to stop. For Graeme, he was Laird. His people were obligated to obey him. I don’t think Bowen, Brodie, or Teague had it like that. Not yet, at least.

Rowena: Sure, it was a different situation but they certainly could have been handled it in exactly the same way. Bowen had proclaimed himself their Laird until Graeme came along to take over so for all intents and purposes, Bowen was the boss. His word was law, and he should have reprimanded and handed out consequences to all of those women and men for the treatment of an innocent woman. Especially the women that freaking stoned her. By then, he knew and was in love with her, he should have taken the time to flay those bitches alive for hurting Genevieve before they left for Montgomery keep. He was too busy healing her with his magic peen though.

Too many things didn’t add up for me that I don’t feel I could give this book a higher grade than 3.25 but I did enjoy the friendships between Gen and Taliesan, and Gen, Eveline and Rorie.

Tasha: LOL at magic peen.

Shy: LOL, Mr. I got the magic stick.

Exactly. He held the authority to be judge, jury and executioner. I didn’t understand why he tried to cut them the benefit of the doubt after glimpsing how vile they were toward Genevieve.

I will say what brought be back around to really loving the book was when she reunited with her family. OMG I love her dad and her mom. But I found myself so irritated with Bowen, I felt like he should have went with her the first time. I would have made up some bloody excuse, knowing all that she’s gone through and that you love her, no one would have faulted him for the extra assurance if we went. But no the ai kae waited for her to ride back in all her pregnant glory.

Tasha: Her being reunited with the family was very sweet of Bowen. I can only imagine how hard it was for him to reach out to them. But the ultimate for me was their reaction when they saw her. They cried tears of joy and embraced her. Ahhhhhhh, loved that part!!!

Final Grade

Shy: 4 out of 5
Tasha: 3.75-4 out of 5
Rowena: 3.25 out of 5

The Montgomery’s and Armstrong’s Series

four-stars

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Book Boyfriend: Alaric McCabe from Seduction of a Highland Lass by Maya Banks

Posted September 28, 2018 by Rowena in Features, Reviews | 6 Comments

This feature keeps changing because I’m trying different things out but I think I’m going to stick with this format from here on out. Thanks for coming along this ride until I figure out what the hell I want to do here. LOL.

Book Boyfriend: Alaric McCabe from Seduction of a Highland Lass by Maya BanksSeduction of a Highland Lass
by Maya Banks
Narrator: Kirsten Potter
Series: McCabe Trilogy #2
Published by Random House, Ballantine on September 27, 2011
Genres: Romance, Historical
Point of View:Alternating Third Person
Pages: 323
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
Length: 8 hours, 28 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
five-stars

Maya Banks, the New York Times bestselling author of romance and romantic suspense has captivated readers with her steamy Scottish historical novels, perfect for fans of Julie Garwood. In Seduction of a Highland Lass, an indomitable Highland warrior is caught between loyalty and forbidden love.

Fiercely loyal to his elder brother, Alaric McCabe leads his clan in the fight for their birthright. Now he is prepared to wed for duty, as well. But on his way to claim the hand of Rionna McDonald, daughter of a neighboring chieftain, he is ambushed and left for dead. Miraculously, his life is saved by the soft touch of a Highland angel, a courageous beauty who will put to the test his fealty to his clan, his honor, and his deepest desires.

An outcast from her own clan, Keeley McDonald was betrayed by those she loved and trusted. When the wounded warrior falls from his horse, she is drawn to his strong, lean body. The wicked glint in his green eyes ignites a passion that will follow them back to Alaric’s keep, where their forbidden love draws them deeper into the pleasures of the flesh. But as conspiracy and danger circle closer, Alaric must make an impossible choice: Will he betray his blood ties for the woman he loves?

This week’s boyfriend made me cry. Like angsty tears and then joyful ones. I was so wrapped up in his book that it took me a little bit to get over the story and move on. I was like book hungover because this book, the romance and Alaric himself had me wrapped up tight in feels that I wasn’t ready to walk away from.

Seduction of a Highland Lass is the second book in the McCabe Trilogy by Maya Banks and it’s the second book that I’ve ever read by this author (in any genre) but boy am I low key addicted to her historicals thanks to Alaric and Keeley.

Alaric has been tasked with marrying Rionna McDonald to unite their clans by marriage so that they can go to war against Duncan Cameron and on his way to the McDonald holding, he’s attacked and injured so he makes his escape to save his own life and his horse brings him to a house on McDonald land, but far away from the actual holding and the woman that lives there was cast out of the clan and is living there on her own. She takes it upon herself to help save Alaric from death and she does a fabulous job of it.

Alaric falls in love with the woman that brought him back from the brink of death. She is a bonny lass and if he wasn’t already engaged to marry someone else, he would have liked to come home to Keeley every night. He would have loved to love her for the rest of his life but since that’s not in the cards for him, he’ll settle for making sure that she is taken care of for the rest of her life. That she has a place in the McCabe clan and that they take good care of her because she deserves the best in life and if he can’t give it to her, his loved ones will.

“I had to see you this night. One more time before I say my vows tomorrow. Once spoken, I’ll never break them. I’d not betray my wife or my clan.”

He was in such a predicament with no other choice but the move forward and honor the wishes of his clan but man, seeing him struggle to do what was right and not what his heart wanted gutted me at every turn of the page. He was such an honorable man and to know him was to love him.

If you don’t know this man yet, I strongly urge you to fix that because he is the best. Seriously, I love a lot of heroes but I’ll have a special place in my heart for Alaric McCabe because his story broke my heart and then put right back together. He’s one of the good ones, I promise.

Hero Casting

Buy the Book

AMAZON || BARNES & NOBLE || GOOGLE BOOKS || KOBO || THE RIPPED BODICE

McCabe Trilogy

five-stars

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Throwback Thursday: Dying to Please by Linda Howard

Posted August 2, 2018 by Rowena in Reviews | 2 Comments

Each week, I’ll be writing a review for an oldie but goodie that I’ve read through again to see if these books are holding up for me. I’m a different person than I was when I read these books, older and wiser (at least I hope) so I’m curious to see if books that I used to love can stand the test of time.

This week’s book is Dying to Please by Linda Howard. For my other book blog’s summer reading challenge, I was assigned with reading Midnight Rainbow by Linda Howard and instead of starting that one, I picked this one up instead.

Throwback Thursday: Dying to Please by Linda HowardDying To Please
by Linda Howard
Published by Random House, Ballantine on November 4, 2003
Genres: Contemporary, Romantic Suspense
Point of View:Alternating Third Person
Pages: 416
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Add It: Goodreads
four-stars

Alternate-cover edition can be found here

Loyal. Beautiful. Professional. Impeccably organized. Potentially lethal.

Sarah Stevens is a woman with many distinct qualities. First and foremost a butler par excellence, skilled at running large households smoothly and efficiently, she is also a trained bodyguard and expert marksman—indispensable to her elderly employer, a courtly gentleman whom Sarah has come to respect and love as a father. Then one night she thwarts an attempted burglary, a courageous act that awards Sarah her requisite “fifteen minutes of fame” with the local press. But the exposure is enough to catch the attention of a tortured soul who, unbeknownst to Sarah, will stop at nothing to have her for himself...

I’m really happy to report that even though I didn’t exactly LOVE this book the way that I did when I first read it, I was still really happy with the story that Linda Howard wrote for Cahill and Sarah.

If you’re new to this book or haven’t read it then this story features Sarah Stevens and Thompson Cahill. Sarah Stevens is a modern day butler/bodyguard and when she comes home from her day off to find her boss dead, her life is thrown upside down. Cahill is the detective on the scene and meeting Sarah Stevens knocks him on his ass. Of course, the first time they meet and he finds out that she’s a butler, he assumes she’s the judge’s mistress or plaything and I loved seeing him wise up in all things Sarah.

The mystery surrounds trying to find out who is killing all of Sarah’s employers and I’ll be honest, that part of the story is pretty weak. I knew who the killer was right away but that wasn’t what I loved about the book. I loved the romance that developed between Cahill and Sarah. I loved getting to know both of their characters and I still really love that wrestling scene.

I remember loving how strong and resilient Sarah was and that didn’t change here. I also remembered how much I adored Cahill but this time around, it was all Sarah for me. She was the bomb and I still think she can take The Rock on and come out on top. She’s smart, she’s strong and what you see is what you get. She’s got that take no nonsense kind of attitude that could be taken so many different ways but for me, it really worked for her character. There was a warmth to her and I was completely charmed. I seriously want to be Sarah Stevens when I grow up.

Cahill and Sarah made sense together and I really enjoyed each scene that they’re in together. Cahill’s honesty and Sarah’s take-charge attitude just worked for me and I loved how hot they were for each other. Linda Howard really shines at character development and I thought she did a nice job of letting us get to know these two. It’s a winner in my book and I definitely recommend if you’re in the mood for a little suspense, some hot loving and two strong characters that are just made for each other. This is a good one.

Buy the Book

AMAZON || BARNES AND NOBLE || GOOGLE BOOKS || iBOOKS || KOBO || THE RIPPED BODICE

Final Grade

4 out of 5

four-stars

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Can’t Wait Wednesday: Down with Love by Kate Meader

Posted July 11, 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.

This week, I’m featuring a pretty new to me author but I’ve read every book in her Chicago Rebels series and became a fan of hers after I finished her last book in that series, Hooked on You. Her writing style is awesome and her characters know how to charm the socks right off of me so I’m pretty stoked for this new series to come out.

The first book in Kate Meader’s new Love Wars series is called Down with Love and I’m so here for it.

Can’t Wait Wednesday: Down with Love by Kate MeaderDown with Love
by Kate Meader
Series: Love Wars #1
Published by Random House, Loveswept on August 7, 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 237
Add It: Goodreads

Sparks fly when the hot-shot divorce lawyer meets the high-powered wedding planner. The only question is, what kind?

If you ever get married, remember my name: Max Henderson. In my line of work, you acquire a certain perspective on supposedly everlasting unions. . . .

1. Pre-nups are your friend. 2. The person you married is not the person you’re divorcing. 3. And I hope you didn’t spend much on the wedding because that was one helluva waste of hard-earned cash, wasn’t it?

But some guys are willing to take a chance. Like my brother, who thinks he’s going to ride off into the sunset with the woman of his dreams in a haze of glitter on unicorns. And the wedding planner—the green-eyed beauty who makes a living convincing suckers to shell out thousands of dollars on centerpieces—is raking it in on this matrimonial monstrosity.

The thing is, Charlie Love is not unlike me. We’re both cogs in the wedding-industrial complex. As the best man, I know her game—and I can play it better than her. But after one scorching, unexpected kiss, I’m thinking I might just want to get played.

This new series sounds pretty different from the Chicago Rebels books and I’m a-okay with that. She won me over completely with the Chicago Rebels books so I’m looking forward to trying all of her books. A divorce attorney and a wedding planner? I can already feel the heat. I have every faith that this book will be a good one and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

Pre-Order the Book

Down with Love (Love Wars #1) by Kate Meader
Releases on August 7th, 2018
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Books

Are you a fan of Kate Meaders? What are some of your favorite books by her? What books are you looking forward to this Wednesday? Anything I’d be interested in?

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