Blog Tour Review with Giveaway: Unbound (The Men of West Palm Beach #2) by Kimberly Derting

Book info:

Title:  Unbound
Author:  Kimberly Derting
Series:  The Men of West Palm Beach #2
Genre:  Adult contemporary romance
Release Date:  February 11th, 2018
Publisher:  Kingsley Books
Source: E-galley received from author.  This had no influence on my review. 
My rating:  5 stars

Synopsis: 

Do opposites really attract?

Emerson Monroe McLean is a true Texan through and through. But she's never wanted to be like the other girls she grew up with, the ones who view debutante balls and sororities as stepping-stones to landing the perfect husband.

Yet everyone underestimates Em. When they look at the leggy blonde, all they see is a serial-dater who leaves a string of broken hearts in her wake. What people don’t realize is that keeping guys at arms length is more than just about having a good time; it’s a deep-rooted defense mechanism. 

Lucas Harper is California born and bred. The product of his wealthy upbringing and an overbearing mother, Lucas has always been told where to be and when to be there. But after his older brother’s death, Lucas is tired of being a puppet.

Taking a break to figure out what he wants out of life, he moves to West Beach to spend the summer surfing. It’s there that he meets Emerson McLean, the free-spirited beauty who lures him into her bed. Refusing to be tied down, she’s unlike any girl he’s every known.

Can they find common ground...or will their differences tear them apart?

Their chemistry is undeniable. There’s only one hitch: Lucas already has a fiancée. And when she lands on his doorstep, Emerson realizes that for the first time in her life, she has genuine feelings for a guy.

With her heart on the line, Emerson discovers that, win or lose, she isn’t the kind of girl to play by the rules.

AMAZON | BARNES and NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Praise for UNDRESSED

"Falling in love has never felt so good. With the warmth of the sun, and the sand between your toes, Derting takes you on the summer you always imagined with Undressed." ―Heidi McLaughlin, NY Times bestselling author of Forever My Girl (soon to be a major motion picture)

Praise for KIMBERLY DERTING 

"A strong debut from a promising author." ―Publishers Weekly (The Body Finder)

"If you're in the mood for some psychological thrillers, evil masterminds, strong heroines and hot heroes, then I'd definitely pick up the Body Finder series." ―USA Today (The Body Finder)

"...fast-paced and engrossing." ―VOYA (The Pledge)

"As always, this author writes a gripping tale...With another sequel set up, this intriguing series continues to provide great entertainment for suspense fans." ―Kirkus Reviews (The Last Echo)

"...a refreshing take on paranormal romance..." ―Romantic Times (The Body Finder)

"More great suspense from a prolific new writer with a vibrant imagination." ―Kirkus Reviews (The Pledge)

My Review:
I loved this one just about as much as I loved the first one in the series,  Undressed.  In a way, this one was more light-hearted.  We didn't have quite the seriousness of past issues as in the first book.  But we did still have the experiences in both characters' pasts that made them wary to move their relationship anywhere near something serious.  Even though both of them really did like each other enough that it was serious in its own way, neither wanted to admit it.  I have to say that I totally understood when Emerson would get really upset about the things that Lucas did, I mean he was kind of a jerk for what he'd done.  But towards the end I was after her to stop and give him another chance.  And as we see from Emerson's past experience with her own family, she doesn't always stick around to get the whole story.  Although, to be fair, her family didn't really 'fess up the things she needed to know that might have made her outlook on love and life so much different.  As much as you had to hate  Aster for what she did to Emerson, and how annoying she was, when she was around Emerson's brother Seth, that was funny.  This was a story that I was flipping pages and sped through.  Just like the first one.  I'm hopeful that we will get more books in this series as I look forward to reading more of these fun romantic stories from one of my favorite authors.

About the Author:

Kimberly Derting is the author of the award-winning THE BODY FINDER series, THE PLEDGE trilogy, THE TAKING trilogy, and UNDRESSED(her first book in The Men Of West Beach series). Her books have been translated into 15 languages, and both THE BODY FINDER and THE PLEDGE were YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selections. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, where the gloomy weather is ideal for writing anything dark and creepy. Her three beautiful (and often mouthy) children serve as an endless source of inspiration and frequently find the things they say buried in the pages of their mother's books, or on Twitter for the world to see.

Photo Content from Kimberly Derting

WEBSITE: https://www.kimberlyderting.com/
TWITTER:  @kimberlyderting
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2755160.Kimberly_Derting
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/kimberlyderting/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyderting/

Giveaway:

--Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

- 5 Winners will receive a Copy of UNBOUND by Kimberly Derting.

- 1 Winner will receive a $50.00 Amazon Gift Card.

 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can check out the rest of the tour HERE:
http://www.jeanbooknerd.com/2018/02/unbound-by-kimberly-derting.html

 

Review: Undressed (The Men of West Beach #1) by Kimberly Derting

Book info:

Title:  Undressed
Author:  Kimberly Derting
Series:  The Men of West Beach #1
Genre:  Adult contemporary romance
Release Date:  August 27th, 2017
Publisher:  Kingsley Books
Source: Review copy received from Xpresso Book Tours
My rating:  5 stars

Synopsis:

Can two people whose dreams have been cast aside find a new passion…together?

No one ever expected straight-A student Lauren Taylor to make waves. But that was the old Lauren, before she went to college and became an online stripper to make ends meet. Now, Lauren is on the run with a secret and a bag of cash, fleeing landlocked Arizona for the beaches of California.

Will Gabaldon was one of the hottest surfers on the circuit, but fate had something else in mind. When a surfing accident shattered his budding career, Will was forced into a life of tending bar and doing odd jobs just to survive.

A swim instructor with secrets like Will is the last thing Lauren wants. A distraction like Lauren is the last thing Will needs.

But soon, both discover there’s one thing more dangerous than the wave that ended Will’s career: Love.

My Review:
I've enjoyed Derting's YA books, and I guess it isn't surprising that I really enjoyed her first adult romance book as well.  I pulled this book up on my computer at work on Monday during a time when I wasn't able to do much besides sit at my desk and help students.  I got sucked in, and when I got home, I pulled it up on my phone's Kindle app, and pretty much finished it before bed.  It was a very quick read, and also kept you on the edge of your seat with the back and forth between Lauren and Will.  Honestly, I kinda hated Will for his wishy-washiness, hot and cold treatment of her from the beginning.  Like Lauren, at first we were left wondering who the girl that Will was living with was, and why he had to take care of her first before letting himself be happy.  

I had to wonder more about what had happened to Lauren though, that made her so sure she would be in trouble with the police for the incident that occurred due to her online stripping.  And I like how the author kept us wondering for so long, as well as how it was resolved.  In the end I did fall in love with Will, once I knew all of his story, and I was able to forgive him, mostly, for how he had behaved in the beginning.  

There were definitely very steamy scenes in the book, as well as some that did bring a tear to my eye.  There were parts that made me laugh, and I'm excited to read more in this series, and find out about the other characters we met in this book.  Definitely a great debut into the world of adult fiction for Derting.  And because I am such a fan of her, I'm going to share one of the pictures of when I've met her.  Now I'll have to get a physical copy of this book to get autographed next time I get the chance to see her.

  

Promo Post with Giveaway: Undressed (The Men of West Beach #1) by Kimberly Derting

Book info:

Title:  Undressed  
Author:  Kimberly Derting
Series:  The Men of West Beach #1  
Genre:  Adult contemporary romance
Published:  August 27th, 2017

Synopsis 

Can two people whose dreams have been cast aside find a new passion...together?

No one ever expected straight-A student Lauren Taylor to make waves. But that was the old Lauren, before she went to college and became an online stripper to make ends meet. Now, Lauren is on the run with a secret and a bag of cash, fleeing landlocked Arizona for the beaches of California. 

Will Gabaldon was one of the hottest surfers on the circuit, but fate had something else in mind. When a surfing accident shattered his budding career, Will was forced into a life of tending bar and doing odd jobs just to survive. 

A swim instructor with secrets like Will is the last thing Lauren wants. A distraction like Lauren is the last thing Will needs. 

But soon, both discover there’s one thing more dangerous than the wave that ended Will's career: Love.

AMAZON | BARNES and NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Praise for UNDRESSED

"Falling in love has never felt so good. With the warmth of the sun, and the sand between your toes, Derting takes you on the summer you always imagined with Undressed." ―Heidi McLaughlin, NY Times bestselling author of Forever My Girl (soon to be a major motion picture)

Praise for KIMBERLY DERTING 

"A strong debut from a promising author." ―Publishers Weekly (The Body Finder)

"If you're in the mood for some psychological thrillers, evil masterminds, strong heroines and hot heroes, then I'd definitely pick up the Body Finder series." ―USA Today (The Body Finder)

"...fast-paced and engrossing." ―VOYA (The Pledge)

"As always, this author writes a gripping tale...With another sequel set up, this intriguing series continues to provide great entertainment for suspense fans." ―Kirkus Reviews (The Last Echo)

"...a refreshing take on paranormal romance..." ―Romantic Times (The Body Finder)

"More great suspense from a prolific new writer with a vibrant imagination." ―Kirkus Reviews (The Pledge)

About the Author:

Kimberly Derting is the author of the award-winning THE BODY FINDER series, THE PLEDGE trilogy, THE TAKING trilogy, and UNDRESSED (her first book in The Men Of West Beach series). Her books have been translated into 15 languages, and both THE BODY FINDER and THE PLEDGE were YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selections. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, where the gloomy weather is ideal for writing anything dark and creepy. Her three beautiful (and often mouthy) children serve as an endless source of inspiration and frequently find the things they say buried in the pages of their mother's books, or on Twitter for the world to see.

Photo Content from Kimberly Derting

WEBSITE: https://www.kimberlyderting.com/
TWITTER: @kimberlyderting
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2755160.Kimberly_Derting
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/kimberlyderting/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyderting/

Giveaway:

--Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

- 1 Winner will receive a a Signed Copy of UNDRESSED (+Swag Pack) by Kimberly Derting.

- 1 Winner will receive a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card.

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

Three End of Series Mini-Reviews

As I keep mentioning, I'm so far behind on reviews!  So, to speed things up, you should continue to expect mini-reviews like what I'm posting today.  I finished up three series finally over the past two months, so let's do a quick reflection on them, and then the blurb from Goodreads. 

Ashes (Seeds of America #3) by Laurie Halse Anderson:

My rating:  5 stars
Okay, this series will go down as being one of my all-time favorite YA historical fictions stories.  It's not really a romance in any way, although there is what needs to be in there in a way.  It's really all about the time and the people of the time and the history, and the side of the history that isn't talked about that much, or written about in history textbooks.  With the huge popularity of the musical Hamilton, this is a series that is perfect for young adults and teens to read that fills in even more blanks and will make them think and ask their own questions about our country's past.  You can read my reviews of the first two books here, Chains and Forge.  And below is the blurb from Goodreads for this third book:

Freedom for one, freedom for all?

That’s the question that burns in Isabel’s mind as she and Curzon forge on through chaos and fear toward the dream that’s kept them alive for so many years: freedom. But her dream of living not as a “runaway” but as a free person with land and a family of her own seems impossibly far away. That dream hinges on one thing: finding her little sister, Ruth. It’s been years since Ruth was stolen from her. Is she even alive? And if Isabel can find her, how will they make it safely through the war between the Patriots and the British that rages on as dangerously as ever, while bounty hunters try to kidnap them at every turn?

In the American Revolution, one must pick a side in order to survive. But how can you care about a nation’s freedom when the very same nation has kept you in chains? 

Sentinel (Covenant #5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout:

My rating:  4 stars
I usually give all of JLA's books 5 stars.  I mean I just love her characters. But this book, and the last one in the series, Apollyon, weren't as great for me.  I think it might be because of the absence of Seth.  While yes, I think that Alex probably belonged with Aiden, it reminds me a bit of the Twilight movies, where I was good with Edward for Bella, but I wanted Jacob.  Here, I loved Seth, and kinda wanted more of him.  He does show back up in this book, and I know that there is a spin-off series for Seth that I will be picking up soon.  Other than that, I really like the way the whole ending went down, the battle was good, the way Armentrout "saved the day" in the end was perfect.  There were definitely some sad losses again in this book of people that we'd grown to  like and care about.  But in a huge battle like this, unfortunately that is to be expected.  You can read my reviews to the other books in the series by clicking on the link earlier in this paragraph, or one of these:   Half-Blood, Pure,  or Deity.  Here is the blurb for this final book from Goodreads:

It's a beautiful day for a war.

As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.

And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time.

In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear… or the end of herself.

The Countdown (The Taking #3) by Kimberly Derting:

My rating:  5 stars
While it took me a minute to pick this one back up and finally read it, when I did, I was once again blown away and hooked so that I couldn't put it down.  While I had issues with some characters that did irritate me a bit, I know that what they did is something that is always in stories, adds to the drama, even though I'm pretty sure it probably wouldn't really happen that way in real life.  I guess I forgot the fact that I'm a bit of a science nerd, because when the characters didn't know what SETI was, I was shocked that anyone didn't know.  In case you don't know, SETI stands for the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Life.  I have to say that once again, this author did a great job of ending this story in a pretty believable way.  We were able to have a pretty much HEA, but it wasn't without losses and it wasn't done in a way that was just everyone decided at the last minute to "all just get along".  There was one person's change of heart that I loved, even as it led her to do something that was definitely heartbreaking for herself.  You can read my reviews of the first two books in the series here:  The Taking, and The Replaced.  Here is the blurb from Goodreads for this final book in the series:

She may no longer be human…but she’s their only hope.

In the concluding book in the otherworldly Taking trilogy, Kyra struggles to understand who she is as she races to save the world from complete destruction.

Ever since Kyra was abducted by aliens and then returned to earth, she has known there was something different about her. Now she knows the truth: she is an alien too. Her alien captors replaced all her human DNA with their own—gifting her with supernatural powers like incredible healing, enhanced eyesight, and telekinesis. But when she’s captured by an unexpected enemy, Kyra begins to wonder if her abilities are also a curse. And is she, as her enemies believe, meant to play some key role in helping an impending alien invasion? Is it programmed into her, something inescapable? Or can she fight that destiny?

No matter what the truth is, Kyra is sure of one thing: She just rescued the love of her life, Tyler, and she is not going to stand by and let anyone hurt him or her friends. Whatever it takes, Kyra will do everything in her power to save the world…even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice. 

So those are the first three series-enders that I've read this year.  All three were well done and great ways to end a series.  If you haven't started them yet, I highly recommend them all!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Countdown (The Taking #3) by Kimberly Derting

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting.  This week it is the 3rd book in a series that I really have enjoyed. My reviews for them are here:  The Taking and The Replaced.  And here is the blurb from Goodreads for the 3rd book in the series:

She may no longer be human…but she’s their only hope.

Every morning since she was abducted and then returned to Earth, Kyra Agnew has felt a searing pain in her gut. It’s as unavoidable as the dawn and comes like clockwork. Too busy running from a shady government agency and rescuing Tyler, the boy she loves, Kyra hasn’t had enough energy to focus on what the strange, stabbing sensation could mean. Then Kyra is captured by an unexpected enemy who knows exactly what the pain is: a signal that time is running out. The aliens are coming, and Kyra fears they will destroy everyone in their path.

As much as she hates to admit it, technically, Kyra is an alien too—they replaced all of her human DNA with their own. But in doing so, the aliens gave her supernatural gifts, like incredible healing, enhanced eyesight, and telekinetic powers. Now Kyra has to wonder…are her new abilities actually a curse? Is she, as her captors believe, meant to play some key role in helping the alien invasion? Is it programmed into her, something inescapable? Or can she fight that destiny?

No matter what the truth is, Kyra is sure of one thing. She just got Tyler back and she is not going to stand by and let anyone hurt him or her friends. Whatever it takes, Kyra will do everything in her power to save the world…even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice.

Have you read this series yet?  Are you as excited for then next book as I am?  What book are you eagerly awaiting this week?

Review: The Replaced (The Taking #2) by Kimberly Derting

First, thanks to HarperTeen and Edelweiss for allowing me to read an e-galley of this title.  I was happy to get this early since I got to read the first one, The Taking, as an e-galley as well.  If you haven't read the first one, this will definitely have some spoilers.  The last one left you hanging and waiting to know what would happen next!

We pick up shortly after the end of the first book.  When we left off, her new boyfriend, Tyler, her father, and the horrible Agent Truman had all disappeared when the fireflies and bright lights went away.  Kyra had to go live in the camps with the other "Returned" as they called themselves because she'd learned that her blood really was toxic to her friends and family. That is part of why she'd tried to get the aliens to take Tyler in the first place, so that they could save him.  But now she's waiting with them for any sign about where Tyler and her father went.  Normally people are returned in about 48 hours.  Kyra was different, being gone for five years.  And as we've learned, she even has some differences from the others.  Like she can heal much quicker.  However it seems there is no word from either her dad or Tyler.  But soon there is something out there, a cryptic message that seems to maybe be from her dad.  And then a message from the NSA about an unknown boy who has shown up.  So Kyra decides she has to go to where they are supposed to have found the boy.  Even if it is a trap, she has to know.  She feels it was her fault he got taken in the first place. 

Along the way they will stay at some other camps, ones where there is history between the leaders of the camps, between Simon, the camp she first was at, Thom, from the latest camp, and even one more, Griffin.  They will run into their nemesis on their search.  Griffin, not a guy, a beautiful girl actually.  And there will be some strange things going on when they find out if Kyra's dad or Tyler made it.  It seems maybe there is now not only the "Returned", but people like Kyra who are more what they call "Replaced".  You'll have to read the book yourself to find out out what that means, and if Tyler and Kyra will be reunited.  And will you want them to be?  Simon seems to have feelings for Kyra, whether she wants him to or not. And he will make her think about whether the strength of her connection to Tyler is real, or if it is just based on her guilty feeling for exposing him to her blood and having him need to be rescued by the aliens.  And it won't just be Agent Truman they have to deal with, but also there is a traitor within the Returned. 

As I've noticed, and I think mentioned in the past, the second book is often what seems to be an "on the road" or traveling story.  This one definitely has that feel.  But it was good. We got a lot of good information about the aliens, as well as their history here on Earth with this book.  And we got a look at what might be their next move with humans.  Enough so that I again am left hanging and waiting for the next book to come out, which has no release date set as of yet, but I'm hoping for this time next year!

I did get to meet the author last year shortly after I read the book, here is the picture of me with her!

While you're here, go check out my giveaway on one of my A to Z Challenge posts, like my R Post yesterday!

Review: The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

I'm a bit ashamed to say that I got a copy of this book May of 2013 at the Romantic Times Convention, and didn't actually start reading it until after I read The Taking e-galley earlier this year.  Once I knew how much I loved her writing, I was hooked.  Since my copy of this isn't personalized, I will be donating it to the high school library where I work and probably ordering the rest in the series.
 The main character is Violet.  She has this weird sense that tells her where dead things are.  Usually she just finds animals, but one time when she was a little girl she found a dead body.  She can also sense killers by feelings that she gets from them, like a smell, or a sound.  Violet is only 16, and this year is noticing just how much her best friend Jay has grown up into a very attractive boy.  And she's not the only one who has seemed to notice.  All the others girls seem to be flirting a lot more.  But she's pretty sure that Jay still just thinks of her as a friend, and she doesn't want to ruin their life-long friendship by showing him her feelings.  While all this is happening though, girls have started disappearing.  And it seems there is now a serial killer in their town.

Because she knows she can sense these things, and Jay even kind of knows as well, she feels like she needs to help find this killer.  Only this will put her in danger, something that Jay is not happy about, and he tries to stick with her to keep an eye on her, and discourage her from doing some of the things she wants to do.  She tries going out with another boy at school when she sees Jay flirting back with some of those other girls.  But good friends do often make the best lovers, and soon they will be able to see how each other really feels.

I have to say that I loved the character Jay so much that I even dreamed about a guy that I can only say he was the way he was because I had been reading this book earlier in the evening before.  I'm excited to read on in the series as I said before, and I just hope that Jay and Violet stay together the whole way through!  Here's my picture with the author this past spring when I met her on a tour for The Taking.

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