Cleaning Up My TBR With a Giveaway (US Only) - Down the TBR Hole #29

This meme was started by Lost in a Story.  Here is how it works:

• Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
• Order on ascending date added.
• Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
• Read the synopses of the books
• Decide: keep it or should it go?

Because I have so many to do, I'm going to try to do this weekly, and do 10 at a time.


1.   The Dig by Michael Siemsen:

A mysterious woven metal artifact is found at a paleontological dig in Africa. Mystified experts, confounded by the impossible timeline they get from traditional dating methods, call upon a stubborn young man with a unique talent. Matthew Turner's gift is also his curse: When he touches any object, his awareness is flooded with the thoughts and feelings of those who touched it before him. It is a talent that many covet, some fear, and almost no one understands. Despite being exploited as a child and tormented by the unpleasant experiences imprinted on him from the various items he has "read," Matthew agrees to travel from New York to the forests of Kenya. There, threatened by unknown enemies and helped by a beautiful but prickly ally who begins to understand his strange ability, he journeys back in geological time to make a discovery so shocking that it forces us to rewrite all human history.
 
My thoughts:
Once again this fits into the genre of books I read constantly for a while ago. And I do have the wish that I'd become a paleontologist or archaeologist, but not sure I'm that into this anymore.

Verdict:  Toss



2.  Single in the City by Michelle Gorman:

Take one twenty six year old American, add to a two thousand year old city, add a big dose of culture clash and stir.

To think Hannah ever believed that Americans differed from Brits mainly in pronunciation, sophistication and dentistry. That’s been the understatement of a lifetime. She lands upon England’s gentle shores with no job, no friends and no idea how she’s supposed to build the life she’s dreaming of. Armed with little more than her enthusiasm, she charges headlong into London, baffling the locals in her pursuit of a new life, new love and sense of herself.

My thoughts:  
Kind of sounds cute, again like what I was reading at the time I added it to my TBR.  But not really as much my thing these days.

Verdict:Toss




3.  Differentiation That Really Works:  Language Arts by Cheryll Adams and Rebecca Pierce:

Differentiation That Really Works in Language Arts provides time-saving tips and strategies from real teachers who teach language arts in grades 6-12. These teachers not only developed the materials and used them in their own classes, but they also provide useful feedback and comments about the activities. The strategies included in the book are tiered lessons, cubing, graphic organizers, exit cards, learning contracts, and choice boards. Every strategy includes directions and offers opportunities for differentiation.

My thoughts:  
Last week I kept the science version of this book on my list.  So I'll get rid of this one, as I would expect to go teach science if I went back to teaching.

Verdict:  Toss



4.  11/22/63 by Stephen King:

Life can turn on a dime—or stumble into the extraordinary, as it does for Jake Epping, a high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine. While grading essays by his GED students, Jake reads a gruesome, enthralling piece penned by janitor Harry Dunning: fifty years ago, Harry somehow survived his father’s sledgehammer slaughter of his entire family. Jake is blown away...but an even more bizarre secret comes to light when Jake’s friend Al, owner of the local diner, enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession—to prevent the Kennedy assassination. How? By stepping through a portal in the diner’s storeroom, and into the era of Ike and Elvis, of big American cars, sock hops, and cigarette smoke... Finding himself in warmhearted Jodie, Texas, Jake begins a new life. But all turns in the road lead to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald. The course of history is about to be rewritten...and become heart-stoppingly suspenseful.
 
My thoughts:
As this is a Stephen King book, and a popular one, I don't think I need to keep it on my Goodreads TBR. Although I do think sometime I will read it.

Verdict: Toss

5.   Love at Absolute Zero by Christopher Meeks:

Love At Absolute Zero focuses on a top physicist determined to find his soul mate within three days using science. In this comic romp, Gunnar Gunderson, 32, has just been given tenure at the University of Wisconsin, and now he can think of only one thing: finding a wife. His research falters into what happens to matter near absolute zero ( 459.67 F), but he has an instant new plan. Channeling his inner salmon, he's determined to meet his love. Can Gunnar survive his quest?
  
My thoughts:
Kinda sounds good, but don't know that I'll get to it anytime.  And ratings aren't that spectacular on Goodreads.

Verdict: Toss



6.  Starters  by Lissa Price:

HER WORLD IS CHANGED FOREVER

Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.

He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . . 

My thoughts:
I feel like some day I should read this.

Verdict: Keep



7.  Here by Denise Grover Swank:

Sixteen year old Julia Phillips buries herself in guilt after killing her best friend Monica in a car accident. Julia awoke in the hospital with a broken leg, a new talent for drawing and false memories of the accident, in which she dies and Monica lives. The doctors attribute this to her head injury, but no one can explain how a bracelet engraved with her name ended up at the scene of the accident. A bracelet no one has ever seen before. 

Classmate Evan Whittaker paid Julia no attention before the accident, let alone after. Now suddenly he's volunteering to tutor her and offering to drive her home. She can't ignore that his new obsession started after his two-day disappearance last week and that he wears a pendant she's been drawing for months. When the police show up one night looking for Evan, he begs Julia to run with him, convincing her that Monica is still alive. Julia agrees to go, never guessing where he's really from.

My thoughts:  
Sounds good, and it's set in my state.  So, maybe I'll read it some day!

Verdict:  Keep


 8.  Unraveling the Mysteries of The Big Bang Theory - An Unabashedly Unauthorized TV Show Companion by George Beahm:

4 Science Geeks + 1 Savvy Blonde Waitress = A Big Bang

You don’t have to be a theoretical physicist to understand why The Big Bang Theory is one of the most popular shows on television. Brains meet beauty in a calculus of comedy that always adds up to smart and hilarious results.

Unraveling the Mysteries of The Big Bang Theory: An Unabashedly Unauthorized TV Show Companion is a quantum leap beyond the typical TV show guidebook. Exploring every nook and cranny of the Big Bang Theory universe, it provides a wealth of information about our favorite television show:

• A profile of “intelligent designers” Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady
• A detailed look at what went wrong with the unaired original pilot—and what went right in the reboot
• In-depth background on the principal actors and the characters they play
• A photo-illustrated breakdown of the Sheldonian universe, from couch to cosmos (including the show locations you can visit in real life)
• How to get your geek on, Big Bang—style
• A primer on the show’s key scientific concepts, plus its galaxy of guest star scientists
• A concise guide to every episode and the meaning behind each title, organized by season
• An A-Z guide to the pop culture miscellanea mentioned in the show
• And more!

Pull up a seat—just not Sheldon’s, which is in a state of eternal dibs—and get ready to unravel the mysteries of The Big Bang Theory.

My thoughts:
You know I love this show if you know me at all. But, like with all the Supernatural tv show extra books, it probably isn't something I'll ever get around to reading. 

Verdict: Toss


9.  Article 5 by Kristen Simmons:

New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.

My thoughts:
I feel like this is another one I really need to try some day.

Verdict: Keep


10.  Moonlight and Oranges by Elise Stephens:

A timeless tale of young romance.

Lorona Connelly is ready for a change from her carefully planned, bookish life. When sparks fly at a costume party, she embraces a chance for romance with the handsome Kestrin Feather. However, she quickly realizes that even love and destiny may not be enough to overcome the reality of an overprotective mother-in-law and Kestrin's long, tarnished history of relationships.

When Lorona's curiosity leads her to Kestrin's journal, doubt plagues them both with insecurities and threatens the relationship. Can true love overcome the odds, or was their whirlwind romance just a frivolous crush? Author Elise Stephens shares a journey of young love, fate, and wounded trust in the story of Lorona and Kestrin, a couple who must learn to overcome their fears to share a life together.

My thoughts:
Honestly this description is pretty bland and unoriginal.  Doesn't grab me at all.

Verdict: Toss


Final Thoughts:
Keeping three this week out of the ten, not as good as last week, but still more gone than kept! Still haven't had time to do any unpacking to get rid of books, so real ones are still waiting to be looked over.   Once again you can see that I may have dropped some, but you can also see how many I've added during the week as well because I'm also pointing out how many books are on my Want to Read list on Goodreads each week.  This week, after taking these 7 off, I have 3,184 books listed now, and last week I ended with 3,190. So I got rid of some and didn't add a lot more I guess! 

Have you read any of these?  Would you suggest I keep any I'm tossing?  And if you're inspired to do this on your blog, please feel free to join in and share a link in the comments, since it will also get you an extra entry into my giveaway at the bottom of this post.      
 

Giveaway:
Once again this is a US only giveaway, unless you are International and see a book here you really want and would be willing to pay for the difference in the shipping through Paypal or some other way.  This week I'm upping the prize, you get to pick any two books from the pictures below, as long as they don't get traded away, or picked by last week's winner, and I will pick a surprise book from the piles to add to your choice.  Here are your choices:   

2018 ARCs:

2017 ARCs:

I'm continuing to add in my early 2019 ARCs now.  You can pick one of your two choices from the picture below, the other book you pick needs to come from the pictures above.

Once again I'm going to let you pick two, along with me throwing in a surprise third book!  Just enter the Rafflecopter below. 

   a Rafflecopter giveaway

ARC Review: The Virtue of Sin by Shannon Schuren

Book info:

Title:  The Virtue of Sin
Author:  Shannon Schuren
Genre:  YA contemporary
Release Date:  June 25th, 2019
Publisher:  Philomel Books, Penguin Teen
Source:  ARC won through Bookish First giveaway which did not influence my opinion.
My rating:  5 stars

Synopsis:
A compelling novel about speaking out, standing up, and breaking free -- perfect for fans of The Handmaid's Tale.

Miriam lives in New Jerusalem, a haven in the desert far away from the sins and depravity of the outside world. Within the gates of New Jerusalem, and under the eye of its founder and leader, Daniel, Miriam knows she is safe. Cared for. Even if she's forced, as a girl, to quiet her tongue when she has thoughts she wants to share, Miriam knows that New Jerusalem is a far better life than any alternative. So when God calls for a Matrimony, she's thrilled; she knows that Caleb, the boy she loves, will choose her to be his wife and they can finally start their life together.

But when the ceremony goes wrong and Miriam winds up with someone else, she can no longer keep quiet. For the first time, Miriam begins to question not only the rules that Daniel has set in place, but also what it is she believes in, and where she truly belongs.

Alongside unexpected allies, Miriam fights to learn--and challenge--the truth behind the only way of life she's ever known, even if it means straying from the path of Righteousness.

A compelling debut novel about speaking out, standing up, and breaking free.

Praise for The Virtue of Sin

"Shannon Schuren weaves a complex tale of love, faith, and lies in her thought-provoking debut The Virtue of Sin. As important as it is entertaining, this is a must-read for anyone who knows that independent thought trumps fitting in. One of my favorite reads of the year." --Christina Dalcher, bestselling author of VOX


My Review:
I'm always intrigued by any story about a cult, don't know why, it's just something that grabs me.  And this book did just that from the time I read the sneak peek, and then once I actually had the book in my hands and started reading, it was so hard to put down.  This one was even better than others, because while I thought I knew what was going to happen, the author threw in several twists and turns that I did not see coming.  My guesses as I went along were either so on track, or just to the side of what was actually happening.  It all made sense as the twists were explained, and made the story, the cult itself, that much more devious.  It also made you think about how what you've been told your whole life is always dependent on who is telling you those things, and what more is out there that you don't even know about it, if you don't look beyond what is easy and normal.  I definitely will be recommending this for my students, as well as at the bookstore where I work.   
 

Lisa's Looking Foward To #21 - July 9th, 2019

Back to joining up with the Waiting on Wednesday Posts, and the Can't Wait Wednesday posts hosted by Wishful Endings.  This week there are five on my list.

From my ARC list for July 9th:

I loved A Prom to Remember by this author, so I'm signed up to read and review this for a tour next week.  Look for my review to be posted a week from this Friday.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

A teen girl starting at a new school is torn between long-held loyalties and a bright new love.

Paisley is really looking forward to college. She is ready to take charge of her destiny and embrace some new experiences! Finding a hot guy to make out with at her first ever college party seems like a great start . . . until her best friend informs her that mystery guy is actually Carter Schmitt, Paisley's sworn enemy who basically ruined their lives in middle school.

So much for new people and exciting new experiences. Oh well. Paisley will just pretend he doesn't exist. Of course that would be easier if Carter, AKA her super-hot-sworn-enemy, hadn't ended up in three of her classes AND the same work study. Is it too late to rethink this college thing?

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE. 

This one sounds pretty unique!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli's Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and A. S. King's Still Life with Tornado, this story of parallel time lines cleverly explores how our choices can change and shape us--as well as the ways in which choices don't change the core of our being at all.

When Chris Schweitzer takes a hit of whippets and passes out face first on the cement, his nose isn't the only thing that changes forever. Instead of staying home with his friends for the last summer after high school, he's shipped off to live with his famous physicist but royal jerk of a father to prove he can "play by the rules" before Dad will pay for college.

Or . . . not.

In an alternate time line, Chris's parents remain blissfully ignorant about the accident, and life at home goes back to normal--until it doesn't. A new spark between his two best (straight) friends quickly turns Chris into a (gay) third wheel, and even worse, the truth about the whippets incident starts to unravel. As his summer explodes into a million messy pieces, Chris wonders how else things might have gone. Is it possible to be jealous of another version of yourself in an alternate reality that doesn't even exist?

With musings on fate, religion, parallel universes, and the best way to eat a cinnamon roll, Me Myself & Him examines how what we consider to be true is really just one part of the much (much) bigger picture.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.

I won an ARC of this from Bookish First and hope to read and possibly get my review up this coming Sunday.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

It's been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty's life out from under her.

It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.

But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there's more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE. 

Sounds like a really good story!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:


A dark, romantic YA suspense novel with an SF edge and plenty of drama, layering the secrets we keep and how appearances can deceive, from the New York Times bestselling author.

In this tiny, terrifying town, the lost are never found. When Araceli Flores Harper is sent to live with her great-aunt Ottilie in her ramshackle Victorian home, the plan is simple. She'll buckle down and get ready for college. Life won't be exciting, but she'll cope, right?

Wrong. From the start, things are very, very wrong. Her great-aunt still leaves food for the husband who went missing twenty years ago, and local businesses are plastered with MISSING posters. There are unexplained lights in the woods and a mysterious lab just beyond the city limits that the locals don't talk about. Ever. When she starts receiving mysterious letters that seem to be coming from the past, she suspects someone of pranking her or trying to drive her out of her mind. To solve these riddles and bring the lost home again, Araceli must delve into a truly diabolical conspiracy, but some secrets fight to stay buried...

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.

This one sounds like a good romance.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

The only child of a single mother, Nina has her life just as she wants it: a job in a bookstore, a kick-butt trivia team, a world-class planner and a cat named Phil. If she sometimes suspects there might be more to life than reading, she just shrugs and picks up a new book.

When the father Nina never knew existed suddenly dies, leaving behind innumerable sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews, Nina is horrified. They all live close by! They're all—or mostly all—excited to meet her! She'll have to Speak. To. Strangers. It's a disaster! And as if that wasn't enough, Tom, her trivia nemesis, has turned out to be cute, funny, and deeply interested in getting to know her. Doesn't he realize what a terrible idea that is?

Nina considers her options.

1. Completely change her name and appearance. (Too drastic, plus she likes her hair.)
2. Flee to a deserted island. (Hard pass, see: coffee).
3. Hide in a corner of her apartment and rock back and forth. (Already doing it.)

It's time for Nina to come out of her comfortable shell, but she isn't convinced real life could ever live up to fiction. It's going to take a brand-new family, a persistent suitor, and the combined effects of ice cream and trivia to make her turn her own fresh page.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.

Final Thoughts:
Have you read any of these yet?  Are they on your TBR?  And hey, while you're here, you should go try to win some of my ARCs from Cleaning Up My TBR Post HERE. The US only giveaway is open till Friday at midnight, and this week I added some 2019 ARCs that can be one of your two choices.

Blog Tour Review with Giveaway: She's a Spitfire (Tough Love #2) by Chloe Liese

Book info:
Title:  She’s a Spitfire
Author:  Chloe Liese
Series: Tough Love #2
Publication date: June 24th 2019
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Synopsis:

One fiery-haired, sexy scientist finds her perfect complement in a dark and handsome soccer star. Opposites attract, and they’ve got chemistry that’s explosive—literally.

Physics calls it entropy. Philosophy calls it Murphy’s Law: If something can go wrong, eventually it will. Professionally and personally speaking, Zed’s familiar with the principle. After a decade of trying to alter the atomic makeup of the mafia from its nucleus, now he’s set on leaving The Life and pursuing his heart. Problem is, the sassy, hot-headed spitfire he can’t quit is meddling in his slow burn escape plan, and turning it into full-on combustion.

Not to mention, Nairne’s got a painful history she won’t talk about and more secrets than she has lab instruments—which is really saying something. In an ideal world, the bad boy footballer would follow the brainy beauty overseas and they’d live happily ever after. But Murphy’s Law is proven true, as Zed finds his world imploding and his escape plan foiled. These enemies turned lovers end up discovering how costly it can be to meet the right person at the wrong time.

A present he can’t escape.

A past she can’t forget.

A future they won’t stop fighting for.

They say all’s fair in love…and war.

Book Two in the Tough Love Series—an enemies to lovers, suspenseful romance, full of sexy Italians, feisty heroines, globe-trotting action, and an ending that’ll both satisfy you and leave you ready for more!

Goodreads / Amazon

My Review:

Title:  He's a Brute
Series:  Tough Love #1
My rating:  4 stars

Source:  Digital copy from Xpresso Book Tours which did not influence my opinion.

I actually didn't realize that She's a Spitfire was a second in a series when I heard about it, so instead I ended up reading book one, He's a Brute.  This was a good read.  If you know my normal reading tastes, I don't do a ton of mafia stories, or the Dominant and Submissive types of romances either.  However there was a lot about this one that I did like.  The way that Zed put forward his expectations for the relationship sounded like something that I could see being enjoyable. But I totally got where Nairne had a hard time with his orders and commands when they were outside of the bedroom.  I would have an issue with that myself.  And when she talked about being self-sufficient and her own person, and that's why she couldn't deal with that, I totally got it.  So I'll have to go on and read the second book soon to see just where this will all end up. But I do recommend this as an easy read, if you don't mind those types of situations.  It was more than just that though, Nairne's past and background made for such a different story than usual, and then there was just the way that Zed's mafia family and how he handled that really was taking place.  A unique story, and I assume book two will be the same way!

Author Bio:

Chloe’s always been a sucker for a suspenseful steamy romance, ever since she managed to find the one saucy mystery series hiding in her high school’s prim little library. Nothing drives her crazier than a story that cranks up the heat, then closes the door on the reader’s face, so don’t read her books if you don’t want to know what actually happens when the lights fade to black…

When she’s not writing, Chloe’s busy reading books of all genres, rereading Harry Potter (which she can’t help but make her characters similarly obsessed over), and playing catch-up with her bad@$$ little girls. She’s also been known to scramble around the pitch for a pick-up soccer match and run along the river while dreaming up her next book.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Audiobook Review: Payback (Harris Brothers #6) by Amy Daws

Book info:

Title:  Payback
Author:  Amy Daws
Series:  Harris Brothers #6
Genre:  Adult contemporary sports romance
Release Date:  May 16th, 2019/Audio:  June 24th, 2019
Source:  Audible digital code from author which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  5 stars

Synopsis:
ALLIE HARRIS WANTS PAYBACK. 
Her cheating ex deserves to see her living her best life; a one-night-stand with a hot South African soccer player would be the perfect revenge. Right? 

Wrong. Allie is so, so wrong. 

ROAN DEWALT HAS ALL THE MOVES. 
On and off the field he’s at the top of his game. Roan respects hard-work, dedication—and follow through. He’s not a one and done kind of man, and he’s far from being done with Allie Harris. 

One sexy night and two years later, Allie’s job brings her back to town. An opportunity for the perfect replay Roan has been fantasizing about since they slept together. 

THE PROBLEM? 
Allie Harris has a secret; one she’s been keeping from Roan all this time. Video proof of their one night together—taken without his consent. 

Will Allie’s payback plan come back to bite them both? Or can she erase her past mistake and embrace a new future with Roan?

My Review:
I could have read the regular book of this when it came out back in May, but when I heard about how the audiobook was going to be recorded, I knew that I had to wait and listen instead. And I was not disappointed, all my expectations were surpassed!  If you have read my other reviews of audiobooks by this author, you'll know that I adore Will Watt, who reads the other books in the Harris Brothers series, and as soon as I hear him narrating, my first thought is always that he could just read the phone book to me and I'd be happy.  Now for this book he just did all the extra characters, along with the other narrator who usually does Daws's books, Charlotte Cole.  But this time we had the awesome Erin Mallon doing Allie's part, and I have a new favorite narrator, Aaron Shedlock, who did Roan's part.  This amazing audio performance was just so great!  I listened to another audio a while back that had too many narrators for my tastes, but this was perfect.  

Now, let's talk about this story.  Within the first quarter of the story, what had to be one of the hottest sex scenes I think I've ever read took place.  I mean, I was fanning myself as I drove and listened.  I loved all the little inside jokes for the fans of this series that the author threw in, like the "inner Harris Ho", and the "Harris shakedown".   And I just adored Allie.  The skipping thing was so cute!   Not only was that first sex scene that was part of Allie's payback plan hot, between this story and the 100 degree temperatures outside, I'm pretty sure I might have suffered from a little heat stroke this past week while listening.

Besides the steam level, there was all the regular emotional family stuff, and the Harris clan that I love and want to hang out with so bad!  I love all the characters so much, and it was fun getting to be back in their lives with all the little details that again, readers of the whole series probably snickered like I did.  Like Camden shouting "goal!" in the shower.  Lol.  

Of course I was left wanting more from other side characters as usual with Daws's stories.  Hoping for a little extra on Roan's Scottish roomie Mac.  Pretty sure even with all the slang the author always throws in, her recent love of the tv show Outlander might be why we got the whole "Dinna fash" bit from Mac. 

Release Tour Review: Accidentally in Love (425 Madison #8) by Katy Ames

Arya Winters’ dream job can make you blush, but her life isn’t nearly as exciting as being the voice of your favorite romance audiobooks. For Gavin McCord, it’s all about getting the job done as quick as possible, but suddenly he can’t stop fantasizing about a woman I’ll never meet. The eighth book in the addicting 425 Madison Avenue, is now live. Read Accidentally in Love by Katy Ames today!

Add on Goodreads

Book info:


Title:  Accidentally in Love
Author:  Katy Ames
Series:  425 Madison #8
Genre:  Adult romantic comedy
Release Date:  June 27th, 2019
Source:  E-galley from Forever Write PR which did not influence my opinion.
My rating:  4 stars

Synopsis:

Arya

I know I can make you blush.

It’s a weird claim to fame, but a perk of my dream job: being the voice of your favorite romance audio books. Laughter, hijinks, adventure. Passion. Sweet heaven, the passion. It’s everything I could ever want. Except…

The problem with this fabulous life?

It’s all just fantasy.

Picking between Chinese and Thai delivery doesn’t count as adventure.

The bestie who always makes me laugh is thousands of miles away.

As for the hunky hero? It’s not like he’s just going to come crashing into my apartment.

Until the night a bearded stranger does exactly that…

Gavin

Do the job. Get the bad guy. Go home.

Most importantly, don’t get involved.

Those are the rules. The agency’s and mine. And they work. Even better, they give me the perfect excuse to keep my distance.

The perfect escape from getting burned again. Except…

Why can’t I stop watching her?

I shouldn’t care more about what she’s doing than my target.

I shouldn’t let her distract me from the job.

And I sure as hell shouldn’t fantasize about a woman I’ll never meet.

That is, until the night I surprise us both by kicking down her apartment door. Rules or no rules, it's true that...

After all, 425 Madison Avenue is the perfect place to fall in love.

*Each story is completely standalone.

Excerpt

Copyright @ 2019 Katy Ames

“Number one rule of tailing someone: don’t breathe so loud they can hear you five flights away.”

“Hey!” I say, thwacking his chest. “Don’t be a jerk. Besides, I don’t think you’re in the position to give spy tips right now.”

One bold eyebrow lifts in question.

Pushing out of his grasp, I whip the hat off my head, breathing in relief as cool air hits my skull. “Isn’t the number one rule of spying not to pick up a tail in the first place?”

The first eyebrow drops, followed by the other. Green eyes turn sharp, primitive, before brightening. A roar of laughter erupts from his chest. We stand there for who knows how long, me huffing and puffing, and Gavin laughing like I’ve just delivered the funniest one-liner he’s ever heard. When he stops, his chest is heaving as hard as mine. One last chuckle escapes when he clocks my annoyed expression.

“Oh, come on. You should be proud. It’s been forever since I laughed that hard. That alone should make up for giving yourself away. Besides, it was a good effort. For a first timer.”

“Ugh,” is the only answer that seems fitting. “When did you realize I was there?”

“Hmm,” he says, stroking his beard, his lips still twisted in a smirk. “Down in the alley. When you scraped that thing against the wall.” He points at the metal tip on the large umbrella.

“You heard that?”

“Hmm,” he repeats, head bobbing. “That and a lot more.” Gavin sweeps his eyes down my body, lingering on my boots before pivoting and heading down the hall.

“Wait, what else?” Keeping up is impossible, what with my thigh muscles screaming and pain scorching my foot. He slows his pace without glancing back, his strides shortening until I catch up.

Another step and another wince, and Gavin mutters something under his breath before lifting me off my feet. My own smirk turns to a shriek when he throws me over his shoulder and swats my butt before continuing down the hall.

“That was completely unnecessary.” My complaint lacks edge, which I blame on the view of his very fine ass.

“Quite the opposite, Ms. Winters. Consider it punishment for ignoring my warnings about staying away.”

My Review:
This was a fun and quick read!  Even with the main character Gavin's description, and the picture on the cover, in my head, as I read his grumpy personality, I actually kind of pictured the actor Jason Statham.   It was neat reading about a character who had the job of being an audiobook narrator like the main character Arya.  Have to love the GOT name there too!  The romance in this was a little more subtle, like there was total sexual vibe between the two that was just too hard to ignore. And that led to some really naughty, yet fun scenes between the two.  I liked that Arya was so into the romance books that her friends suggested she look at how those books went whenever she described her friendship/relationship with Gavin.  I wasn't really happy, and thought it came out of left field a little how she did the little ghosting bit with him at the end, but all in all, it worked out perfectly.  I do love all the different characters we get to meet in the 425 Madison building, and definitely think they round the whole story out!

About Katy Ames:

Katy Ames has spent most of her life on the East Coast and hopes to spend more of it in the UK, primarily so she can indulge in her serious plaid obsession. There isn’t a teenage drama or a period British TV show she hasn’t binge-watched at least twice. And she can be persuaded to do almost anything with the promise of bourbon, chocolate, or a nap (not necessarily in that order).

Katy is mom to a small human who has an obscene amount of energy and a blissful ability to ignore swear words, and wife to a man whose reading habits are far too serious. Katy and her family reside in Washington, D.C., a city she where never intended to live and loves so much she’d be happy to talk about it for hours. Just ask.

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About the 425 Madison Series

Welcome to 425 Madison Ave the perfect place to fall in love. Nine delicious romances set in fast-paced & sexy NYC just waiting for you to read.

The series features stories from some of your favorite romance authors: Leigh Lennon, MK Moore, Allie York, Aubree Valentine, Kay Gordon, Lauren Helms, Sylvia Kane, Katy Ames, and C. Lesbirel.

Join these authors as they come together, each with a standalone romance for you to enjoy.

Featuring some of readers' favorite tropes: second-chance romance, best friends sibling romance to a good ol' enemies to lovers romance. We've got you covered with a sports romance, a fake relationship and even an ugly duckling or two. Don't forget a brother's best friend and falling for your soul mate. Maybe a little love triangle as well. Each tale offers you something new, something different. After all, 425 Madison Avenue is the perfect place to fall in love.

For more information, visit the series website ➝ www.425madisonseries.com

Follow the series on Facebook ➝ https://www.facebook.com/425MadisonSeries

Did you miss the first eight books in the series? You can read them here: 

Book #1 - https://rebrand.ly/MLC_425Madison 

Book #2 - https://rebrand.ly/LMLY_425Madison

Book #3 - https://rebrand.ly/JSR_425Madison    My Review is HERE.

Book #4 - https://rebrand.ly/TFH_425Madison   My Review is HERE. 

Book #5 - https://rebrand.ly/BF_425Madison  My Review is HERE.

Book #6 - https://rebrand.ly/LUC_425Madison  My Review is HERE.

Book #7 - https://rebrand.ly/BFM_425Madison

The final book in the series is coming soon! Add it to your Goodreads shelf today! 

Sightseeing in Manhattan by C. Lesbirel

A Soul Mate Romance

Release: 7/18/19

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