Blog Tour Review with Excerpt: Shelf Awareness (Green Valley Library #4) by Katie Ashley

"Don't miss this hilarious and sweet adventure in the Green Valley Library series. Five Stars!"--Aleatha Romig, New York Times bestselling author

Shelf Awareness, an all-new hilarious romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Katie Ashley is available now!

Book info:

Title:  Shelf Awareness
Author:  Katie Ashley
Series:  Green Valley Library #4
Genre: Adult romantic comedy
Release Date: November 19th, 2019
Publisher:  SmartyPants Romance

Source:  Purchased copy from author at Book Bonanza
My rating: 4.5  stars

Synopsis: 

After catching her husband in a compromising position, Finley Granger finds herself in a new hell: reentering the dating world. When she moves in with her grandmother, her great-aunt, and their best friend, Finley finds herself surrounded by a trio of well-meaning yet bumbling matchmakers.

In spite of their efforts, Finley only has eyes for one person, and that’s Zeke Masters—the 6’4”, impossibly built, and ridiculously good-looking new man in town. Along with her nether regions, Finley’s journalistic spidey-senses tingle as to why he’s on sabbatical from Seattle. Is he on the lam or escaping a bad breakup? What’s his story?!?!

As Finley finds herself reluctantly drawn to the gorgeous IT guy, she can’t help but wonder: should she indulge in a rebound tryst with the mysterious Zeke, or has she finally met her match?

‘Shelf Awareness’ is a full-length contemporary romantic comedy, can be read as a standalone, and is book #4 in the Green Valley Library series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

My Review:

This was a very sweet and easy read.   While this is once again set in the library, it actually doesn't focus on a librarian. Sure, Finley works at a library, but she's getting a history room ready.  And then we have Zeke, who while he is a tech guy, he is volunteering and not an official library tech.  But that's okay, because I still loved both characters!   There was so much in this story that made me laugh.  In fact Finley's roommates, her grandmother, great-aunt, and their friend, all remind me of the grandparent characters in the books by one of my favorite authors, Emma Hart.  So many funny moments in this one, especially the Ben-Wa ball moment as described in the excerpt below.  For the most part it is a pretty simple and as I said, sweet story.  But at the end, we get some intense events thanks to Zeke's father.  It was a blast spending the time we did with our librarians we know from the other books, even though there was only a mention or two of the Winston brothers.  

Now I'm just eager to read the next round of the SmartyPants Romance books which won't be till next spring or summer I think.  Also, I have lots of thoughts about trying to either fix my one novel I started reworking during NaNoWriMo this year to possibly fit into the Penny Reid world, or else to start a new one so maybe I can get into the library world of this book!   

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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Except

As Zeke worked on uploading the census records, I hoisted one of the many boxes from the Henderson’s donation onto the table. It kicked up an epic dust cloud. I reached inside to pluck out one of the moldering tomes of historical literature. Wrinkling my nose, I fought the urge to sneeze. Instead, I cleared my throat. When it still felt like I had swallowed a wad of sawdust, I coughed. And that was my grievous mistake.  

The force of the cough dislodged the Ben Wa ball, sending it into an epic downward dive. Yes, ladies and gentlemen the Ben Wa ball had left the building. Whirling away from Zeke, I used my hand to try an inconspicuous crotch shuffle to send the ball back to its point of origin. What happened next was truly against the laws of motion. Because the universe apparently hated me, the ball escaped the confines of my thong. As it started its descent down my thigh, I squeaked and clamped my knees together. 
   
“Are you all right?” Zeke asked behind me.  

I threw a glance at him over my shoulder. “Uh, yeah, I . . .” Okay, I had no idea how I was going to get out of this one. It wasn’t like I could say, “Well, here’s the thing. The Ben Wa ball I was using to strengthen my pelvic floor muscles to keep my vagina healthy for the D just slipped out and is about to make a very unhappy trail down my leg.”  

“I think a bug bit me or something.”  

“Oh no. Want me to take a look?”
   
“No!” When Zeke’s eyes widened at my outburst, I said, “Sorry. I’m okay.”  

“If you’re sure.”  

“Totally.”  

“I think I might’ve found something interesting for your research.”  

The only thing I was interested in at the moment was getting the Ben Wa ball out of my pants without Zeke seeing it. “Oh?”  

“I definitely see some Native American female names.”  

Damn him for being enthusiastic about my research. The last thing I wanted to do was walk the couple of steps back over to him while trying to keep a Ben Wa ball from rolling down my pants leg. Since I couldn’t see any other way out of it, I nodded. Gritting my teeth, I started shuffling over to him.  

When I started lurching like Frankenstein’s monster, Zeke tilted his head curiously at me. “Are you sure you’re okay?”  

“Yep. Totally fine,” I muttered.  

Just as I reached his chair, my knee shifted because of what I imagined was panic sweat overtaking me. As the ball became dislodged, I bit down on my lip to keep from squealing again. There was no saving the ball now or my humiliation for that matter.  

As soon as it plopped onto my shoe, I flung my foot, sending it ricocheting into the desk. Of course, it’s size caused it to make a tremendous ching-ching noise, which in turn caused Zeke to rip his attention away from the screen. “What was that?”
   
“What was what?” I questioned innocently.  

He furrowed his brows at me. “You didn’t hear that noise?”  

“Uh, no.” Plastering a smile on my face, I said, “I’m sorry. I was just so into what you were saying.”  

Ignoring my response, Zeke quickly assessed the area around us. After I’d flung the ball away, it had come to a rest to the right of his desk chair. When he bent over to examine the ball, I inwardly began screaming noooooo while at the same time cursing Estelle for even bringing the Ben Wa ball into my orbit.  

Since the universe hadn’t tortured me quite enough yet, Zeke picked up the ball. “Interesting,” he murmured as he twisted it between his fingers.
   
I decided it was best to play absolutely and completely clueless in this situation. “What is it?” Silently, I prayed he wouldn’t respond with, “It looks like one of those sex balls you shove up your cooch.”  

“I don’t know. Maybe a part off one of the desks or chairs. I should probably give it to maintenance, so they can check all the furniture in here.”
   
Oh hell no. Without a second thought, I snatched the ball out of his hands. Since I did it rather abruptly, Zeke’s surprise was apparent on his face. Waving my free hand dismissively, I said, “Don’t bother yourself with that. I’ll take it to them.”  

“Thanks, Finley.”  

After wheezing out a breath, I replied, “You’re welcome.” I jerked my thumb over my shoulder. “I’ll go do that right now.”  

I didn’t bother waiting for Zeke to reply. Instead, I power walked right out of the history room. I’m sure if he was watching me he would have been puzzled at my miraculous recovery, considering I’d been limping earlier.  

At the first trash can I could find, I deposited the Ben Wa ball. It seemed abundantly clear that neither I nor my vagina were quite ready to handle the responsibility. 
 

About Katie Ashley

Katie Ashley is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Top Five Best-Selling author of both Indie and Traditionally published books. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her daughter, Olivia, her two rescue dogs named for Disney Princesses, Belle and Elsa, an out-numbered cat, Harry Potter, and one Betta fish. She has a slight obsession with Pinterest, The Golden Girls, Shakespeare, Harry Potter, and Star Wars. 

Connect with Katie Ashley

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2kuMzMP

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Website: http://bit.ly/2lXWIlu

Connect with Smartypants Romance

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Teaser Promo for Five Upcoming YA Reviews

I'm a little behind in reviews, March got away from me, and so while I'm in the middle of reading these books, I wanted to bring everyone's attention to them as they are all being published over the last few weeks.  The ones I've started have been really good so far, and I look forward to getting through them and on to the others as well.  Below I'll share the covers and the blurb from Goodreads.

1.  Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves:

Published:  March 28th, 2017
Source:  Won through a giveaway in Shelf Awareness newsletter.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
The thrilling first book in a YA fantasy trilogy for fans of Red Queen. In a world where social prestige derives from a trifecta of blood, money, and magic, one girl has the ability to break the spell that holds the social order in place.

Sixteen-year-old Anna Arden is barred from society by a defect of blood. Though her family is part of the Luminate, powerful users of magic, she is Barren, unable to perform the simplest spells. Anna would do anything to belong. But her fate takes another course when, after inadvertently breaking her sister’s debutante spell—an important chance for a highborn young woman to show her prowess with magic—Anna finds herself exiled to her family’s once powerful but now crumbling native Hungary.

Her life might well be over.

In Hungary, Anna discovers that nothing is quite as it seems. Not the people around her, from her aloof cousin Noémi to the fierce and handsome Romani Gábor. Not the society she’s known all her life, for discontent with the Luminate is sweeping the land. And not her lack of magic. Isolated from the only world she cares about, Anna still can’t seem to stop herself from breaking spells.

As rebellion spreads across the region, Anna’s unique ability becomes the catalyst everyone is seeking. In the company of nobles, revolutionaries, and Romanies, Anna must choose: deny her unique power and cling to the life she’s always wanted, or embrace her ability and change that world forever.

2.  The Sacrifice of Sunshine Girl (Haunting of Sunshine Girl #3) by Paige McKenzie:

Published:   April 4th, 2017
Source:  Requested ARC from author

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Is Sunshine Griffith who she thinks she is? Now that her luiseach powers are fully awakened, and having barely survived an abyss full of demons at the end of Book Two, Sunshine must figure out who—or what—has been organizing the forces of darkness against her. 

Thanks to her brainiac boyfriend, Nolan, they not only unearth that Sunshine's death would trigger a calamitous event, but that all civilization depends on her survival. So when an unexpected event unleashes a fierce war between the luiseach and the demon army, Sunshine will learn a shocking truth about herself. Can she bring herself to make the ultimate sacrifice to save humankind? 

3.  What Girls are Made Of by Elana K. Arnold:

Published:  April 1st, 2017
Source:  ARC received from author

Synopsis from Goodreads:
This is not a story of sugar and spice and everything nice.

When Nina Faye was fourteen, her mother told her there was no such thing as unconditional love. Nina believed her. Now Nina is sixteen. And she'll do anything for the boy she loves, just to prove she's worthy of him. But when he breaks up with her, Nina is lost. What is she if not a girlfriend? What is she made of?

Broken-hearted, Nina tries to figure out what the conditions of love are. She's been volunteering at a high-kill animal shelter where she realizes that for dogs waiting to be adopted, love comes only to those with youth, symmetry, and quietness. She also ruminates on the strange, dark time her mother took her to Italy to see statues of saints who endured unspeakable torture because of their unquestioning devotion to the divine. Is this what love is? 

4.  Zenn Diagram by Wendy Brant:

Published:  April 4th, 2017
Source:  ARC received from publisher

Synopsis from Goodreads:
The more I touch someone, the more I can see and understand, and the more I think I can help. But that’s my mistake. I can’t help. You can’t fix people like you can solve a math problem.

Math genius. Freak of nature. Loner.

Eva Walker has literally one friend—if you don’t count her quadruplet three-year-old-siblings—and it’s not even because she’s a math nerd. No, Eva is a loner out of necessity, because everyone and everything around her is an emotional minefield. All she has to do is touch someone, or their shirt, or their cell phone, and she can read all their secrets, their insecurities, their fears.

Sure, Eva’s “gift” comes in handy when she’s tutoring math and she can learn where people are struggling just by touching their calculators. For the most part, though, it’s safer to keep her hands to herself. Until she meets six-foot-three, cute-without-trying Zenn Bennett, who makes that nearly impossible.

Zenn’s jacket gives Eva such a dark and violent vision that you’d think not touching him would be easy. But sometimes you have to take a risk… 

5.  Keeping the Beat by Marie Powell and Jeff Norton:

Published:  April 4th, 2017
Source:  ARC received from publisher

Synopsis from Goodreads:
It was supposed to be the best summer of her life. Instead, seventeen-year-old Lucy finds her best friend, Harper, shot dead in an LA swimming pool. How did things ever go so wrong? The story circles back to trace the steps that led to this disaster.

Only Harper McKenzie could have taken five girls from their school and reinvented them as Crush, the top prospect to win the international talent contest Project Next. As soon as the band finds its footing, it scores a huge win in the UK semifinal. Next stop, LA! 

The girls will spend a luxurious summer in Hollywood, living as reality TV stars while they prepare for their performance in the Project Next final. With a mansion to themselves, they’re the toast of the town … living every girl’s dream come true. 

It’s way too late when Lucy discovers that Harper’s heart has never been in Project Next at all. Joining the competition was just part of Harper’s elaborate ruse to reconnect with her no-good ex-boyfriend. Harper will risk anything — from her friendships to the band’s reputation — to get him back. 

Meanwhile, the other members of Crush are throwing themselves headfirst into sex, drugs and rock and roll. With the band in crisis and the final approaching, Lucy must decide whether she wants to play to Harper’s beat or set the rhythm for the rest of the band. 

This fast-paced story takes unexpected twists, unraveling the mystery of Harper’s murder and exploring the complicated relationships among members of the band. Writing team Marie Powell and Jeff Norton — with many years in the entertainment business between them — deliver one-part wish fulfillment and one-part cautionary tale as they go behind the scenes to reveal what no one sees on “reality” TV. 


So I've started the top two, and the others are on the top of my TBR pile.  Check back later tonight as I plan to post at least one, if not two reviews.  The YA review is for sure, that is Toward a Secret Sky by Heather Maclean, it'll was a 4 star book! 

Stacking the Shelves - August 16th, 2015

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  It is a way for us to share the new books we have collected.  Once again, I got a large pile of books.  And I have to admit that I did buy two of them. But in my defense, one was only a $1, and the other I'd ordered at the bookstore where I work before I'd went on the book buying ban, so I needed to buy it.  Here's a picture of the pile:

• Cascade (River of Time #2) by Lisa Tawn Bergren - This is the book I'd already ordered, so I had to go ahead and buy.  I had the first book in the series as a free ebook, and I wanted to read on, so if I'm going to pay for a book, I prefer to have a physical copy.
• The Witches by Stacy Schiff - This is an ARC I got from the publishers. I  think I requested it through Shelf Awareness.  Didn't realize quite how thick of a book it was going to be!
• The Bees by Laline Paull - I won this in the Clean Your Shelves Giveaway from Grace on Books of Love.
• Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko - I had to check it out when my egalley expired before I got to read the last fifty pages.
• This is Where it Ends  by Marieke Nijkamp - This was a surprise from the publisher!!  Very excited to read this one.
• The White Rose by Amy Ewing and The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa were both successful #booksfortrade on Twitter.
• Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan  - this was my $1 find, so excited!  Found it at the Dollar Store! Can't wait to read it!

The White Rose was my other must have ARC for the year.  So now I'm trying to stay clear of the #booksfortrade, but sometimes it is hard to do. 

E-galleys:

I got all of these from Edelweiss, and do you see the one in the middle?!  I just featured it as my WOW this past week and then it showed up for review!  Awesome week for egalleys.

So that's what I got.  What did you get this week?

And while you're here, be sure to sign up for my September is for Sequels Giveaway Hop, or maybe my September is for Sequels Challenge.  

Review: All the Rage by Courtney Summers

First, thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and Edelweiss for allowing me to read an e-galley, as well as the ARC that I got in the mail from Macmillan Library, I believe from a Shelf Awareness giveaway.  I have wanted to read this author since I first saw the book This is Not a Test.  While I have yet to get to read that, I now know that I am a fan of this author.

 This book is a contemporary YA book about a girl who was raped by one of the small town's favorite sons.  And of course no one wants to believe her and so even though the boy is sent away, the rest of the town either shuns her or bullies her.  When even Romy's best friend doesn't seem to believe her, and Romy feels that her best friend Penny let it happen to her, she becomes a loner.  She has small routines to help her get through each day, making sure that her nail polish is perfectly done in the perfect color, as well as her lipstick being applied perfectly so that it is the perfect color and lasts.  Other than that she has to deal with the mean girls at school who do things like steal her underwear during showers after gym class and then put them on display for the rest of the student body to see.  While she isn't really friends with Penny anymore, Penny still seems to not put up with the bullying for very long.

Romy has met a really nice guy at the diner where she works, a little ways outside of the small town. Leon is newer to the area and doesn't know Romy's back story, and that's the way she wants to keep it. She wants to keep him, the good part of her life, separate from the small town and bad things in her past.  There is the annual end of the year senior party where Romy follows her friend Penny to, and then once again wakes up on a dirt road not completely remembering what happened the night before.  But that's not the worst part of the night.  Penny is missing.  The whole town is out looking for her, and Romy now wonders how much Penny might really have still been her friend, and if she is still out there to be found.

This story is a very intense story inside the head and life of a sexual assault victim. There were parts that were very emotional.  I think if you know anyone personally who has been through this, or maybe have been through it yourself it will really get in your head and make you think and feel.  It sure did for me.  I highly recommend this book for the mystery, the reality of the situation, and even if you don't have a personal connection to this type of story, it will make you think.  It is one that I think should be available in the school library where I work, and it is on my list of books to be  ordered next year.

Sunday Post #6 and Stacking the Shelves - May 4th, 2014

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted  @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme. 

Last week on my blog:

• Review:  The Dark World by Cara Lynn Shultz
• A to Z April:  X is for Xtras
• A to Z April:  Y is for WhY not do a cover characteristic post?
• Review:  Renegade (Mila 2.0 #2) by Debra Driza
• A to Z April:  Z is for Zombies
• March/April 2014 Prequel and Sequel Challenge Wrap Up

Once again I met my goal of 2 reviews this week.  I finished my A to Z April Challenge this past week as well.  And I wrapped up my prequels and sequels that were read in the last two months.  I did take both Friday and Saturday off from blogging because I had done at least one blog post every day in April because of the challenge.  

This week on my blog:

• Review of Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
• Review of The One (Selection #3) by Kiera Cass
• Wishlist Wednesday
• Re-cap of Dark Days of Spring Tours event Thursday night
• Review of End Times by Anna Schumacher
• Stacking the Shelves

I should hopefully finish Beautiful Darkness today.  And I will be buying The One on Tuesday, and hoping to finish it before I get to see the author Thursday night.  I intend to do some unique Wishlist Wednesdays this month leading up to BEA.  I believe this week I'm going to do my wishlist of authors I hope to meet at BEA.  Then next week I'll probably do my wishlist of ARCs I hope to get at BEA, and the 3rd Wednesday of May I'll probably do a wishlist of the finished books I'm hoping to get at BEA.  The last Wednesday of May I'll be on a plane on my way to NYC for BEA, so don't know that I'll get anything blogged that day, but will hopefully get lots of reading done while I am traveling.  I'm really hoping to find out a way to meet up with a bunch of bloggers that I know are going.  The first time I went, 2 years ago, I did meet some, but it was kind of by chance, ending up in line by them. Which may be the way it happens again, oh well.  

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  It is a way for us to share the new books we have collected.  I actually am doing a 2 week post, as I didn't have much to share last week, plus was kind of busy on Sunday, so waited till today to post it all.

ARC received from publisher:

I requested this through a link in the Shelf Awareness email newsletter, and shortly after the package arrived from the publisher.

Won:

I received a physical copy of The Iron Queen by winning the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop at A Casual Reader's Blog stop.  I won an e-copy of The 5th Wave from Another World of Books' blogoversary giveaway.

E-galleys from Netgalley:

I keep trying not to request more e-galleys, but I had to have the 3rd book in the Dante Walker series, and the other one just sounded too good!

E-galley from Edelweiss:

I requested this one, even though I now found out that the author is supposed to be at BEA, so I may get an actual physical copy of the book there.

Free e-book downloads:

These are two that I found for free.  Now I think the first one I actually got the whole series in one book, but not sure.  

99 cent e-book download:

Normally I don't want to spend money on e- books if I can help it, but this one just sounded too cute to pass up for that price.

So, what are your plans for the upcoming week?  Will I maybe get to meet you at BEA?  What books did you add to your shelves this week?