Blog Tour Review: Rebel Heart by LK Farlow

 

     

Rebel Heart by LK Farlow

Release Day: July 26th

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Cover Designer: Jersey Girl Design

     

     

AVAILABLE NOW!!

AMAZON US: https://amzn.to/2LselVB

AMAZON CA: https://amzn.to/2LrBis4

AMAZON UK: https://amzn.to/2uBofLg

AMAZON AU: https://amzn.to/2zZg54i

             

BLURB

She wants to see him get wild and he thinks she needs Jesus.

When AJ Adams is coerced into tutoring Brock Larson, she can’t help but wonder what she’s done to deserve such an epic punishment. He’s the very definition of an All-American good boy—and a total kiss ass. He’s the perfect son, the perfect student, and according to rumor, by far the best golfer the university has ever seen. Puh-lease. If he’s so perfect, why does he need tutoring?

With his British Literature grade circling the drain, Brock knows he needs help. But when he meets his tutor, he can’t believe his friggin’ luck. Abby Jane no longer resembles the childhood best friend he used to play hide and seek with. No, she’s all attitude and pink hair and tattoos. Oh, and she hates him, so that’s a plus.

Brock and AJ couldn’t clash more and antagonizing one another is just too easy. But, as they spend more time together, the lines begin to blur, leading them to realize they have more in common than what meets the eye.

Hate. Lust. Love. They all look the same when you’re in denial, and everyone knows you can’t control your rebel heart.

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39719867-rebel-heart

                 

My Review:

My rating:  5 stars

Source:  Egalley received from Candi Kane PR which did not influence my opinion.

Once I picked this one up, I read it almost straight through in a 24-hour period, interruptions of course by work, driving to and from work, etc.  I stayed up late to read it and could barely put it down when I was on break at work.  It was a fun, sexy read.  I love that Schmidt was a favorite character on the show New Girl, since he is my favorite as well.   

Abby Jane, or AJ as she prefers to go by, had one of the most hilarious best friends possible, Stacia, which you can get a glimpse of in the excerpt below.  And then there's Brock.  Yeah, he's an athlete, but he's a golfer, so it's funny all the ways that AJ tries to insult him as a jock, that just don't fit a golfer.  

But it wasn't just a fun, fluffy, light romance. There were some family moments that were very emotional.  There was the bit at the end that drove them apart, even if it was just one of the usual misunderstandings that are in romance stories.  It worked well, and I LOVED the way that Brock went about getting AJ back.  Again, Stacia is totally the best friend a girl could have or want to have.  

A fun, page-turner, barely put the book down read.  Steamy, sexy, and funny, another favorite read of mine this year!  Yet another new-to-me author I'll be keeping on my radar from now on.
       

       

EXCERPT:

When I reach her door, I take a deep, calming breath and knock. I’m

expecting her to answer, so it throws me when her friend Stacia is who

greets me instead. “Come on in. AJ’ll be down in a sec.”

 

“Tell her no rush, she can take all the secs…” I snap my mouth shut

and shake my head at myself. “Fuck. Never mind.”

 

Stacia laughs and quirks a brow at me. “Got sex on the brain, Mr.

Larson?” When I don’t reply, she keeps going. “Are you thinking about

fucking Ms. Adams? About sticking your sausage into her love muffin?”

Now we’re both laughing. “Planning to play a rousing game of hide the

salami? Or do you just want to eat her taco?”

 

It’s that very minute Abby Jane steps into the room, and we

immediately stifle our laughter. “Did someone say tacos?”

 

At that, Stacia and I lose it all over again. Stacia regains her

composure first. “Well. Y’all have a lovely evening. Be safe—use

condiments…I mean condoms.”

           

About LK Farlow

LK Farlow (A.K.A Kate) is a small town girl with a love for words. She's been writing stories for as long she can remember. A Southern girl through and through, Kate resides in beautiful, sunny LA--that's Lower Alabama, y'all--with her amazing husband and three rambunctious children. When she's not writing, you can find her snuggled up on the couch watching car shows while she crochets or with her nose in a book.

     

Connect with LK Farlow

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/authorlkfarlow/

LK’s Darlings (Facebook Group): https://www.facebook.com/groups/lksdarlings/

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Ld9xEx

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lk-farlow

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16630996.L_K_Farlow

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlkfarlow/

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Book Announcement: The Brightest Stars by Anna Todd

The Brightest Stars, a beautiful and gripping novel from New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author Anna Todd, is coming September 18th!

International bestselling author Anna Todd returns with a gripping novel about a young woman's journey towards love, and the obstacles life throws up at every turn.

Karina knows the harsh realities of military life. And like anyone who has grown up around an army base, she knows the background noise that follows a soldier home from war. That's why she's forging her own quiet life in her own little house. But she hasn't turned her back on her family. She's the glue that holds them together--when her father is deployed, when her brother, Austin, has another brush with the law.

Karina knows that she has to look after herself, that she can't always fix what's broken. But when Austin's behavior worsens and her father's reactions grow more extreme, Karina feels her own edges beginning to fray. That's when she meets him--a closed book she's desperate to open.

At just twenty, Kael is a handsome, brooding soldier struggling with the aftermath of two tours in Afghanistan. He's emotionally damaged and closed off. Quiet doesn't begin to describe him. But as Karina gets used to his stable presence, she finds it hard to ignore the way he makes her feel. In their time together, she finds the stillness she has always wanted and never found. She lets down her guard. And she lets herself fill in the blanks about this mysterious man.

But illusions quickly made are quickly shattered. That's when Karina has to find her own courage--to untangle the truth from the lies, and decide what she's going to do about it.

A riveting story about love and lies, THE BRIGHTEST STARS will stay with you long after the last page has been turned.

Pre-order your copy today!

iBooks: https://apple.co/2zu98b1

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2KA7xBB

Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/TheBrightestStars

Audible: https://amzn.to/2JRRQFz

Nook: https://bit.ly/2Mz9Cyq

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2JWAAlP

Add to GoodReads: https://bit.ly/2JWokC4

 

About Anna:

  Anna  Todd  is the  New York Times  and #1 internationally bestselling author of the After series.  An avid reader, Anna began writing stories on her phone on Wattpad, the reading and writing multi platform for original stories, with  After  becoming the most read series on the platform with over 1.5 billion reads.  The print edition published in 2014. AFTER has been published in over 30 languages, with more than 10 million copies sold worldwide, and is a #1 bestseller in Italy, Germany, France and Spain.    The film adaptation of AFTER, which Anna is co-producing, is set to be released in early 2019. Anna  and her husband currently live in Los Angeles.    Find her at AnnaTodd.com, on Twitter at @imaginator1d, on Instagram at @imaginator1d, and on Wattpad as Imaginator1D. 

  

   

Connect with Anna:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorannatodd/

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Website: http://www.annatodd.com

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Author Interview with Giveaway: Promise Me Always by Rhonda Shaw

Book info:
Title:  Promise Me Always
Author:  Rhonda Shaw
Publication date: February 26th 2018
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

Gabrielle Wells was everything Danny Anderson shouldn’t want. She was his opposite in every way, but he couldn’t keep his distance, and fate seemed to push them together at every turn. She consumed him, and the more he learned about her, the more he realized she was exactly what he didn’t know he needed. But then past mistakes forced him to walk away and never look back, breaking Gabrielle’s heart in the process.

Fast forward six years, and it seems as if fate is intervening again. Danny, now a best-selling rap artist, returns to his hometown, and is reunited with the only girl he’s ever loved.

Gabrielle isn’t the girl he left behind, though, and Danny realizes life has thrown her quite a few curves. But he will stop at nothing to get her back, refusing to let his true desires—love and family—continue to elude him. However, when Danny’s past crashes into his present, threatening everyone he loves and everything he’s fought for, he must decide if his promise to Gabrielle of “always” is worth the risk.

Goodreads / Amazon / Kobo

Author Interview:
1.    What does your writing process look like? Do you know the whole story when you start?  Or do you just start writing and go with it (seat of the pants writing)?  If you plan it out, how do you do that?  Outline, notecards, post-it-notes, etc.?
 
My writing process is kind of all over the place. 😊 I don’t know the whole story when I start out, but I usually have a few scenes that I know will be included. I’m a pantser when it comes to filling in all the in-betweens (which then usually results in changes to the outline). I outline in Word, but If I’m struggling with something, or have a gap, etc., I will use notecards, so I can move scenes around and play with things. I’ve tried some online notecard programs, but, for some reason, I need to physically move the cards in order to work things out. Don’t ask, I have no idea why. 😊

2.  How do you come up with your ideas for your stories?
 
It depends on the story. For Promise Me Always, it was one line from the Eminem song, “Not Afraid” (“And don’t even realize what you did, ‘cause believe me you”). One of my previous stories (The Changeup), it was something my niece said on an all-girl’s weekend while we were watching a baseball game (I said a pitcher was hot, she said, “I’d date him” and bam! the story came into my head). It can be anything that just strikes me the right way, and then my imagination takes off with it.
 
3.  How long have you been writing?
 
 For about 14 years. My first (horrid) attempt at writing a story was in 2004.

4.  What tips do you have for aspiring writers?
 
Don’t give up. This industry can be brutal and writing is hard. With all the negativity and rejections, it is very easy to get down and believe the easiest thing to do is give up, but don’t. Believe in yourself and your writing, keep going and give it all you’ve got, and you will be rewarded.

5.   What are your favorite:
 
Books/authors/genres
 
I have (too) many favorites, but the one that got me hooked on romance was The Promise by Danielle Steel. I also love the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The one book I’ve read over and over is Nora Robert’s High Noon. I love, love, love the hero Duncan. He has the BEST sense of humor. I really enjoyed the Outlander series as well as the Tudor series by Phillippa Gregory. I enjoy pretty much everything Rachel Gibson writes. I could go on and on.  

Movies/TV Shows
 
Fringe (someone needs to bring that show back). Currently loving Stranger Things (we’re a bit behind 😊). Love all the Marvel and DC movies. Lord of the Rings (of course). Game of Thrones. Disney classics (although, I will admit that I wasn’t all that fond of the new Beauty and the Beast…which made me sad because I wanted to love it). All things Star Wars. The Proposal because Ryan Reynolds, Betty White and Sandra Bullock. Need I say more? 😊 

Music
 
I pretty much enjoy all music, except Country. Sorry, Country is a hard no for me.
Food/Writing snack
My absolute favorite food is Alaskan King Crab legs. Unfortunately, they’re a bit too messy to be a good writing snack. I don’t really have a writing snack, now that I think about it… I should change that. 😊

Social Media Site
 
I’m beginning to prefer Instagram and just enjoying people’s pictures. Facebook and Twitter are becoming too toxic for me, so I usually just hang out in the background.  😊

Author Bio:

Rhonda owes her love of reading to her mother who would read to her each night before bed and sometimes give into pleads for more than one chapter. These days, if Rhonda doesn’t have a book in her hands, it feels like something is missing. While romance is her true passion, Rhonda enjoys reading multiple genres.

Born in California, but transplanted to the Midwest, Rhonda is warm weather girl to the bone (even years later, winter and her are not on speaking terms) and loves nothing more than a balmy, summer evening. She also loves all animals–especially her silly French Bulldog, Keno.

Nowadays, she has so many characters and story ideas running around in her head that she can’t keep up with them. But one day, she’ll tell each one.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

 
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Release Day: How to Date a Douchebag - The Coaching Hours by Sara Ney

      

THERE ARE NO DOUCHEBAGS IN THIS STORY. 

Well, there are, but they’re not who this story is about. 

This story is about me—the coach’s daughter. 

When I moved to Iowa to live with my dad, the university's take-no-prisoners wrestling coach, I thought transferring would be easy as pie—living with my father would be temporary, and he'd make sure his douchebag wrestlers left me alone. 

Wrong on both counts. 

ASSHOLES ALWAYS COME OUT OF THE WOODWORK WHEN THE STAKES ARE HIGH. 

A bet is placed, and I'm on the table. After one humiliating night and too much alcohol, I find the last nice guy on campus. And when he offers to rent me his spare bedroom, I go all in. It’s time for the nice guy to finish first. 

Midnight chats and spilling my problems turn to lingering touches. Lingering touches turn to more. 

And the ultimate good guy has the potential do more damage than any douchebags ever could.  

AMAZON | AMAZON UK  | AMAZON AU

    

Excerpt: 

She perks up. “Wait, you’ve never had a back massage?”   

“No?”   

“Ever?”   

“Nope.”   

“Well, what the hell? How can I, in good conscience, lie here letting you rub my back when you’ve never had anyone rub yours?” She scoots over, pointing to the mattress. “Lie on your stomach, I’ll do you first.”   

I wave my hands in front of me in protest. The last thing I need is her warm hands roaming my body. “No, no, you don’t have to. It’s not a big deal.”   

“Are you crazy? Back massages are the best—like, better than an orgasm. You’re first, so lie down.”   

 “And you call me the bossy one?”   

 “Quit stalling and get on the bed.”   

Obediently, I climb to the middle of my bed in nothing but a pair of gym shorts, legs hanging off the side. Next to me, the mattress dips, Anabelle on her knees, approaching my side.   

A finger glides down my spine. “It will be easier for me to do this if I’m sitting on you. Hope that’s okay.”   

“Is that the approved method?”   

“No, but my arms will get tired if I have to lean over you the whole time.”   

“Do whatever then, I don’t care.”   

 I stiffen when Anabelle swings one leg over my body, straddling my ass. Warm palms at my lower back.   

“You’re so tense. Try to relax,” she coos, making it worse. “Tilt your head to the side, that’s it.”   

I hear the lotion bottle snap open. Click closed. My roommate’s palms rubbing together, warming it up. “Sorry, I don’t have any actual massage oil. This will have to do.”   

When her hands make contact with my back, I almost groan it feels so fucking good. Warm. Smooth. Pressure in all the right places, pushing gently into my muscles.   

Slowly.   

 Slower still, caressing along my shoulders, thumbs and fingers working together to soothe the burning on my right side.   

“Doesn’t this feel great?” Her soft voice cuts into the silence. “You’re loosening up. That’s good.”   

I feel her leaning as her hands move up and down my spine until they stop, hovering at the base of my neck. Thumbs stroking the skin below my hairline, back and forth.   

Kneading.   

Her torso dips, hands maneuvering my arms, placing them at my sides. Palms slide up and down my biceps.   

For several minutes, she rubs my arms and shoulders. Then she skims down my ribcage unhurriedly, in no rush, making little humming sounds inside her throat.   

I know I’m not imagining the feather-light way her hands drift down my spine. I remain still, letting her touch me, basking in it.   

Remain still when her lips kiss the tender spot of my shoulder where it meets my neck, nose nuzzling behind my ear, her breasts rubbing against my back and what the fuck was that all about? What does she think she’s doing, trying to drive me insane?  

         

Author Info:

Sara Ney is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the How to Date a Douchebag series, and is best known for her sexy, laugh-out-loud New Adult romances. Among her favorite vices, she includes: iced latte's, historical architecture and well-placed sarcasm. She lives colorfully, collects vintage books, art, loves flea markets, and fancies herself British. 

She lives with her husband, children, and her ridiculously large dog. 

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Audiobook Blog Tour Review with Author Interview and Giveaway: Drumline by Stacy Kestwick

Book info:

Title:  Drumline

Author: Stacy Kestwick

Narrators: Stephen Dexter, Tracy Marks

Length: 9 hours 5 minutes

Publisher: Stacy Kestwick

Released: Dec. 4, 2017

Genre: Contemporary Romance

 

Traditions are important. Especially in the South. College football. Rivalries. Tailgating. Halftime shows. Some things just don’t change.

Until Reese Holland shows up with her long legs and no-bullshit attitude to audition for the prestigious all-male Rodner University snare line.

It doesn’t matter how much hazing she has to endure from Laird Bronson, with his narrowed green eyes and arrogant smirk. She wants that damn spot, and she’s more than good enough to earn it.

She expects there to be tension. Even friction.

But not sparks hot enough to burn the entire campus down.

 

 

 

 

 USA Today bestseller Stacy Kestwick is a Southern girl who firmly believes mornings should be outlawed. Her perfect day would include puppies, carbohydrates, and lounging on a hammock with a good book. No adulting, cleaning, or bacon allowed.

Website⎮Facebook⎮Twitter⎮Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 Tracy Marks has been acting onstage and onscreen since she was 12, and has been narrating audiobooks for 4 years. She lives in Chicago with her boyfriend and adorable dog, and considers herself very lucky to have an excuse to stay indoors in her toasty little booth during the cold winter months. Bringing heart, heat, vulnerability, and humor to her work, she has a passion for bringing love stories to life.

Website⎮Facebook⎮Twitter

 

 

 

 

 Stephen always wanted to be an audiobook narrator. As someone who never liked the whole "reading silently" thing, and has had a lifelong penchant for performing and flair for the dramatic, it was inevitable that he would be doing this for a living. With dozens of titles to his credit, a majority of them steamy romance novels, he has had the pleasure of voicing characters from the Great Plains of Texas, the bayous of Louisiana, the streets of South Boston, the dungeons of a vampire's castle, the deserts of Mars, and everything in between. It has been an honor to bring such amazing stories by Penny Reid (Marriage Of Inconvenience), Krista and Becca Ritchie (Hothouse Flower), Lex Martin (Shameless), Mia Sheridan (Kyland), and so many more incredibly talented authors, to life. Be sure to check him out on social media, Audible.com, ACX.com, and at www.stephendexter.com. SAG-AFTRA/AEA. Happy listening!

Website⎮Facebook

 

 

  I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Stacy Kestwick. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

My Rating:  5 stars

So, I've been following the author on Facebook for awhile.  And I have to say that this was the perfect book for me to read first.  Why?  Because there is a dachshund in it!  If you know me, you know how much I love dachshunds, I mean look at my header here on the blog!  And the dachshund is a piebald, like my Dora is.  His name is Oscar, which was the name of the first dachshund my family had when I was a kid.  Not only does the book have a dachshund, but the characters make wiener jokes like all dachshund owners make.  I mean my favorite line of the book just has to be that "You know there's nothing worse than a sad wiener."

Anyway, let's talk about the actual story.  Oscar is not the only wiener in the story, there is his owner, Laird. I fell in love with Laird, not just for his wiener dog, but also because he was all about pleasing his lady.  And then he was such an all around renaissance man.  He was a drummer, and he designed video games, had in fact already sold apps and made money off of them.  He volunteered at the hospital with kids in the cancer ward.

Then we have Reese.  She's a freshman, trying out for a position on the traditionally all male drumline.  And she's good, better than most of the other guys trying out, and maybe even better than some of the guys already on the team.  She has to endure all the hazing, but it's not just the normal ordeals, she also has to put up with a hateful misogynistic co-leader of the drumline, Marcos.  She definitely feels the attraction to Laird, but she doesn't want to get her spot on the team by dating the captain.  Even if she earns the position, she knows any hint of them dating could lead to having to deal with people inferring that's why she made it, and not treating her with respect.    When she runs into him at the hospital where she has also stopped by to volunteer, it almost seems as if they really are made for each other.

There's so much more to the story that I loved, but I don't want to give a lot away.  I had a lot of jaw dropped moments listening to this, and I love when a story can keep me on my toes.  Along with the wiener jokes, there was Reese's new bestfriend and sidekick, Smith.  I loved Smith to death, even if he did have kind of bad taste in guys for a bit.  Towards the end when he comes to Reese's rescue, and then refuses to keep her secret quiet when it needs to come out, I just loved him even more.

The sexy scenes were as steamy as I liked, and Laird was totally a sweet Southern gentleman.  He did irritate me a bit in how he wanted to constantly baby Reese in some ways, and so I felt with her about that.  But then there were times it irritated me that she would let someone egg her into doing something that she really knew wasn't fair and she shouldn't have to do, just to prove the point that she could do it, or to prove that they couldn't get to her.  There were moments, in fact between probably two chapters when I was saying how much I loved Laird, and then the next one I was so mad at him!  I  love when characters get you to feel so much, or should I say when an author can write characters that you fall in love with.

I liked the narrators on the audiobook, although the female narrator did this thing where she got all breathless at the end of each sentence.  It was kind of annoying and distracting.  Other than that, I liked both of the narrators and enjoyed listening to this. 

 

Q and A with Author Stacy Kestwick

• Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
  • I have to admit, I was a complete newbie to the audiobook process. I knew nothing. I learned some of the basics from my author buddies who were seasoned pros, and then trusted my narrators to steer me along the right path. They were both beyond patient as they guided me through the steps. I think Tracy even went so far as to send me screen shots with step by step instructions at times.
• Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
  • While creating an audiobook for Drumline was one of my goals with this project, it wasn’t something I really thought about as I wrote. The characters were telling their story and I was simply making sure I did it justice. I was more concerned with word choice, pacing, sexual tension, side plots, vivid descriptions, and all the various ingredients that go into the recipe for a great New Adult romance.
• How did you select your narrator?
  • Tracy had actually reached out to me after reading my debut novel, Wet, but at the time, I was in graduate school and the thought of exploring audiobooks was too overwhelming. But once I finished Drumline, and started exploring the various narrators out there, I stumbled upon her again by chance and loved a sample of hers I found, then remembered we’d already talked once and it was clearly meant to be a match. To find my male narrator, I searched my author friends books on audible and listened to their samples to see who jumped out at me. I heard Stephen Dexter on a sample of one of Krista and Becca Ritchie’s books, then realized my critique partner Lex Martin had used him too. She gave him a glowing recommendation, and that sealed the deal for wanting to use him.
• Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
  • Well, for Drumline, I was in the marching band both in high school and for two years at the college level. I played cymbals my first year, then switched over to colorguard the rest of the time. Hazing did play a role in my college experiences, although nothing so bad as to make the nightly news, and it seemed like a relevant topic to explore -- without going too dark with it.
• How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
  • I go to book signings. Nothing is more uplifting than the enthusiasm of readers getting to meet their favorite authors. And getting some face-to-face time with your author colleagues in what is often a lonely job is priceless, solidifying those relationships that had only existed on a screen in the past.
• Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format?
  • Oh, the sexy scenes for sure. Especially the first time Laird and Reese have sex. I blushed so hard listening to that chapter, and had my eyes half covered. It’s so much more deliciously dirty in audio than it will ever be in black-and-white.
• If this title were being made into a TV series or movie, who would you cast to play the primary roles?
  • I’d love to see Blake Lively as Reese and Colton Haynes as Laird. :-)
• What gets you out of a writing slump? What about a reading slump?
  • Talking to other authors and readers gets me out of a writing slump. Authors understand the feeling and the pressure of the looming deadline, and I’m lucky enough to have a really fantastic network of author friends to lean on when I need it, who are great at peptalks and ass-kicking, depending which I need more. And my readers group - Stacy Kestwick’s The Wreck on Facebook - is my safe place. It’s a super active bunch of the readers who buoy me up every day. I always want to make them proud and they help keep me going.Honestly, I haven’t been in a reading slump in ages. There are so many good books out there in every conceivable trope just waiting to be devoured. But certainly, a reread of a perennial favorite is a good way to beat a slump. I reread Jay Crownover’s Rule and Sierra Simone’s historical Ivy Leavold series this year.
• What’s next for you?
  • I’m starting a cowriting project with the amazing Hazel James that we’ll release under the pen name Rory Hale. And I’m starting a new trilogy that I’m still in the midst of the background research for, but I’m so freaking excited about it. It’s going to be hotter than my previous stuff, with some voyeurism and exhibitionism coming into play.

Stacy Kestwick's Top 10 Perks of Being An Author

1. Being utterly in control of the product you put out there.
2. You can work on your own schedule at your own pace wherever you want.
3. No need for pants or a bra.
4. Author friends are the best friends to have.
5. Getting to explore new worlds and take readers on an adventure of your choosing.
6. It’s totally appropriate to use the word fuck as a noun, verb, and adjective.
7. Reading books is basically a required part of the job.
8. Hot guy pics are definitely a required part of the job.
9. Naming characters after people you love… or hate.
10. Seeing your name on the cover of a book you wrote and hearing people talk about how much they loved it.

 

Drumline Giveaway: $25 Amazon Gift Card 

   

Feb. 1st:
The Book Junkie Reads . . .
Up 'Til Dawn Book Blog
Love Read Listen
UBH
Book’s, Babe’s and HEA’s
Sasha Says  

Feb. 2nd:
The Book Disciple
Dirty Bad Bloggers
Smada's Book Smack
Sweet Red Reads  

Feb. 3rd:
Can’t Quit Books
Lover of Big Books Cannot Lie
Bobo's Book Bank  

Feb. 4th: 
Next Book Review
Lisa Loves Literature
Cali Book Reviews  

Feb. 5th:
Never Too Many To Read
The Bookworm Lodge
Mile High KINK Book Club
Book Babes Unite
Smashly Bookalicous Reviewing Chicks  

Feb. 6th: 
Lilly's Book World
SERIESous Book Reviews
KT's Book Blog and Review  

Feb. 7th:
A Page to Turn
Haddie's Haven
The Book Addict's Reviews
Bookworms Corner
London's Scribbles
Aaly and The Books
Rachel Loren’s Love of Reading
Books n Wine
In Patti's Imagination
Reading in Sarah's Corner

 

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Blog Tour with Review: After by Anna Todd

After (After #1) 

by Anna Todd 

Release Date: October 21st, 2014 

Genre: Contemporary Romance

 

After, the international bestselling contemporary romance from Anna Todd is available now!!

Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She’s got direction, ambition, and a mother who’s intent on keeping her that way.

But she’s barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos, and lip ring, Hardin is cute and different from what she’s used to.

But he’s also rude—to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessa should hate Hardin. And she does—until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she’s never known before.

He’ll call her beautiful, then insist he isn't the one for her and disappear again and again. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper.

Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and Hardin’s prejudice about nice girls like her?

Unless…could this be love?

Anna Todd’s After fan-fiction racked up over 1 billion reads online and captivated readers across the globe. Experience the Internet’s most talked-about book for yourself!

There was the time before Tessa met Hardin, and then there’s everything AFTER ... Life will never be the same.

My review:

(Originally posted here on Lisa Loves Literature on February 21st, 2016)

This book, this book, I just don't even know where to start!  I immediately connected to the main character, Tessa, as I started listening because she reminded me so much of myself when I started college.  Except for the way she dressed, I soooooo did not dress that bad.  Except for she had the obsessions with Toms and I had/still have an obsession with Keds.  But I was so naive, so innocent.  I also did not have a boyfriend like she did.  A lot of the things she did, said, ways she acted, were all things that I have either done, or could totally see myself doing.  As I read about Tessa and the other main character, Hardin, I found myself falling in love with him along with Tessa.  There were times when she was mad at him, and she would think about not going with him, but then she did.  I would be shouting in my car, "Don't do it!  Don't get in his car, slam the door and go back into the dorm!"  But later, when I got to thinking about it, I can see that I probably would have done the same as she did, being more worried about being rude to someone.  The sex scenes were very steamy.  The fact that this guy, kind of an asshole, (sorry about that language, but it's the truth), gave her the first sexual experience as him pleasing her, instead of demanding she do something for him, well at the time I wished for someone like that back when I was in college, instead of the first real boyfriend I ever had, my freshman year of college.  I know that their relationship is totally an emotionally abusive one, but you kind of were rooting them on, as Hardin seemed to try a little more each time she thought she couldn't take any more.  But then, the end, whoa.  You find out that the whole relationship started based on something so terrible.  I won't tell you though.  But, and while my bad experience in college was not the same as what happened to Tessa, it still brought back to me the feelings about what did happen to me, and I seriously, literally, physically felt the pain Tessa felt as it was all revealed to her.  What Tessa said to Hardin, it totally summed up how I feel about what happened to me:  "You took something from me that wasn't yours, Hardin.  That was meant for someone who loved me, loved me truthfully.  It was his, whoever he is, and you took that..."  I spent the rest of that night barely able to breathe, like there was a weight on my chest, like my heart had been ripped out of my chest. And the way it ended?  While the author is great as these kinds of cliffhangers as I found throughout the rest of the series, none of them compared to this one.  It was so sudden, ended with basically Tessa telling someone to "Tell me everything, every single detail."  That was it.  I tweeted to the author about this, and she retweeted me:

 

So, after I was able to recover a bit, a few hours later on Monday night, I picked up the sequel, and was glad to be dropped right back into the story so that I could get all the details along with Tessa.

Just so you know, if you start this, you'd better have book two, After We Collided,  handy and ready to pick up, because I'm guessing you'll be just like me!

I honestly loved this whole series so much that about a month after I finished reading all of them, I had to get a tattoo:

And then, I had to meet her, and so I volunteered to work at ApollyCon in Orlando back in March, then had to come up with the money for a plane ticket and a place to stay, but I did it, just so I could meet her.  Here is a picture of me with her, and then also a picture of the two of us with our semi-matching tattoos:

Seriously, get out and get your copy of this today! 

Read Today!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2tpgwjH ($.99)

iBooks: https://tinyurl.com/yc3tohes

Nook: http://bit.ly/2sfTAyK Kobo: http://bit.ly/2sfH3eQ

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2tdibGQ

Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/w1KdwW

 

Grab the Other Books in the Series!

 http://amzn.to/2sg0W6i

 

About Anna Todd:

Anna Todd is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of the After series. Hailed by Cosmopolitan as “the biggest literary phenomenon of her generation,” Anna began her literary career on the social storytelling platform Wattpad. Serialized on Wattpad in 2013, After has over 1.5 billion reads on the site. The print edition, published in 2014 by Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, has over 15 million copies in circulation, has been published in over 30 languages and is a #1 bestseller in Italy, Germany, France and Spain. A native of Ohio, Anna was a voracious reader all her life, citing Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights and Fifty Shades of Grey as some of her favorites. In 2012, after discovering the world of fanfiction for fandoms like Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, The Mortal Instruments, Anna began writing as a way of continuing the stories she so loved from the fan-fiction community.   

Connect with Anna:

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Book Blitz and Giveaway: Worth Any Cost (Gaming the System #6) by Brenna Aubrey

Book info:
Title:  Worth Any Cost
Author:  Brenna Aubrey
Series:  Gaming the System #6
Publication date: February 28th, 2017
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

You are cordially invited to the wedding of the decade.
Adam Drake and Emilia Kimberly Strong have chosen a date to solidify their love in the bonds of matrimony.
Join them on their exotic destination wedding. Visit with their friends and loved ones. But hold the champagne toast. Fate has a few last tests for our couple on their way to the altar.
Natural 20 or natural disaster?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

Satisfied with my results, I settled on the bed, all snug and dry in my robe. Pressing a stack of clean washcloths to my mouth to muffle the laughter, I heard the water turn off. After a few seconds’ hesitation, he called from inside the bathroom.

“Hey. Where are all the towels?”
I didn’t answer, just laughed some more and smothered my giggles.
The slap of his wet feet on the bare floor sounded as he crossed the bathroom toward the door. He poked his dripping head out of the doorway. “What did you do?” His dark eyebrow arched, hair soaked and plastered to his forehead. A puddle quickly formed around his feet.
I held up one of the tiny washcloths. “You want this, don’t you? The hate is swelling in you now.”
His mouth quirked. “Something’s swelling, but it isn’t hate.” He pushed the hair away from his forehead and cleared the water that had dripped into his eyes. “Somehow I thought getting away with that was too easy.”
I smirked. “You should know me better by now. As for drying off…you could always use your dirty underpants.”
“Underpants? What am I, five?” He clenched his jaw and then grinned. “Don’t underestimate the power of the dark side, young Jedi.”
I rolled my eyes. “So you’re going to try to one-up me? So predictable. I’m shaking in my boots.”
His dark eyes gleamed as he came closer. Rivulets of water had collected on his tasty abs. It was fascinating to behold.
“And you should know me better, too.” He grinned evilly. “I don’t one-up. I one-hundred-up.” Then he shook his head inches from my face. Droplets of water sprayed everywhere. I let out a screech and pulled back. “You are looking too dry over there, little girl. Let me help you with that.”
And he promptly pinned me, dripping wet, to the bed and started rubbing his drenched face in mine. “You’re gonna soak the bed!” I screeched.
“Collateral damage,” he replied. He reached down and pulled the belt on my robe, opening it. Then he shifted, sandwiching me between his wet body and the bed.
I squirmed and wiggled, and he only seemed to like it more. He shook his head again. My hand smacked his hard chest. “You’re such a boy.”
He grinned. “I’m all boy,” he said, pressing his erection against me.
“I won’t take this lying down,” I muttered.
“You don’t have to take it lying down.” He laughed. “There’s always up against the door or the shower wall. Or you can take it bent over the back of the couch or a dozen other different ways. Whatever way you take it…you are taking it.”

Author Bio:

Brenna Aubrey is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author of contemporary romance stories that center on geek culture.
She has always sought comfort in good books and the long, involved stories she weaves in her head. Brenna is a city girl with a nature-lover's heart. She therefore finds herself out in green open spaces any chance she can get. She's also a mom, teacher, geek girl, Francophile, unabashed video-game addict and eBook hoarder.
She currently resides on the west coast of the US with her husband, two children, and two adorable golden retriever pups.
Sign up for Brenna's email list for release updates, and free content (deleted scenes, bonus stories, etc.) please copy and paste this link into your browser:
http://BrennaAubrey.net/newsletter-signup

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