Review: When Night Breaks by Janella Angeles

When Night Breaks by Janella Angeles
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.,

I enjoyed this, however I'm left feeling like I missed something. As the ending approached, I feel like I missed a chapter or two. Things kind of jumped from one place or time to another without an explanation, maybe that is because I read an ARC and that was resolved in the final copy. I felt these jumps were confusing and either needed a few lines of explanation to how the characters got from where they were in the last chapter to where they are now or there needed to be another chapter to explain things. This was especially true at the end. Hopefully this was resolved in the final version, as I see some of the other ARC reviewers mention that they were also confused.

Much like with the first book, I felt like this was far too long and meandering. Certain scenes are repetitive and don't really add to the plot. I also am left with just as many unanswered questions as I was in the first book. There are things mentioned that are left without an explanation and characters that seem important that aren't really given an ending. As I mentioned in my review of the first book, I'm not a fan of books that leave me with more questions than answers when I'm done and this duology did just that.

This picks up where book 1 left off, Kallia has fallen through the mirror devoid of her magic. It introduces an almost entirely new set of characters. If you were a fan of the characters of the first book, some of them are present in the beginning but the focus of the book is on the world behind the mirror where Kallia landed. Daron is desperate to find her despite the consequences and destruction that might bring. Both Kallia and Daron find that they are pawns in a dangerous magical game, and they both must decide if they want to play or fight against the man who holds all the cards.

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RELEASE BLITZ: Love Stories: A Novella Collection by Samantha Young

 

 

Brother's best friend, enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance... this collection has it all!

Love Stories: A Novella Collection by Samantha Young is now live!

 

A collection of contemporary romance novellas from New York Times Bestselling Author Samantha Young.

This volume includes novellas previously only available exclusively to newsletter subscribers. They have now been collated into this romantic collection of modern love stories.

Includes:
The Forbidden Christmas Gift:
It's Christmas at Shaw's Department store in Edinburgh! Reid Shaw should feel nothing but gratified by his success. But he's not satisfied because the sexy Scot wants forbidden fruit for Christmas: Evan Munro. Reid's Evan's boss. He's thirteen years older than her.
Oh ... and she's his best friend's little sister.

New Year's Eve:
After Ryan drunkenly kisses the object of her crush, Joe--her sister's father-in-law-- at his son's birthday party, all she wants to do is avoid Joe for the rest of eternity. But when they find themselves stranded alone together on New Year's Eve, Ryan discovers Joe most definitely doesn't want to avoid Ryan...

Loving Valentine:
Micah Green has loved Valentine Fairchild for over ten years; ever since they were kids brought together by Micah's difficult family life. Too many outside factors have gotten in their way, pushing them further apart over the years. But Micah, no matter how hard he tries, can't forget her. When he finds a way to see her again, he realizes he's wasted too much time loving Valentine from afar. Now he just has to convince her to let go of their past so they can move on with their future. Together.

Ember in the Heart:
Loosely Inspired by Pride & Prejudice.
When Ember Bonet overhears her sister's fiancé's best friend uttering rude remarks about the Bonet sisters at the engagement party, she instantly dismisses him as a pretentious man-child. Then said man-child, Foster Darwin, moves into the house next door along with his five-year-old daughter, making him hard to ignore.
Foster can't believe his best friend, Colt, omitted to tell him the spinsterish Bonet sisters live in the house next door to his new home. Problem is, Ember Bonet is anything but spinsterish. From the moment they met, Foster has fought an overwhelming attraction to her. An attraction he has no time for. Not only is he determined to prioritize his daughter Georgie, he can't fail his own father again. And Edward Darwin has made it clear that Foster must settle down with the right woman. Unfortunately, his family's idea of 'right' isn't the sexy massage therapist next door who's eleven years his senior.
Determined to keep her distance from Foster, Ember fails when it becomes clear he and Georgie need support in their new life together. But proximity to one another is too great a temptation, and physical chemistry soon turns into so much more. If only Ember could get over their age difference and Foster his family pride...

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Meet Samantha

Samantha is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over fifty books, several of which have been nominated for Goodreads Choice Awards. She writes adult contemporary and paranormal romance, YA urban fantasy and YA contemporary fiction. Her books have been published in 31 countries. She resides in Scotland.

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Review: The Awakening by Nora Roberts

The Awakening by Nora Roberts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an audio ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This follows Breen, an unhappy middle school teacher who has been held back and put down by her successful and driven mother for most of her life. When she finds out that her mother has been lying about her estranged father for years and that he's been sending funds to provide for her since they divorced, Breen is understandably angry. She and her best friend Marco decide to take a trip of a lifetime to Ireland to try to find her father and reclaim some of Breen's lost heritage. While in Ireland, Breen begins a journey of self discovery starting out with Marco and it becomes even more after she meets her Grandmother and learns more about her family. This book has been out for a while so I won't go into the plot too much. I really enjoyed taking this journey with Breen, I was captivated by the story and enjoyed the characters! If the second book isn't out yet, I know it will be available soon.

I loved this! The narrator was wonderful, and I thought she did a great job with the different characters and accents. I didn't know much about the series going in, but I've read a different paranormal/fantasy series by Nora Robert so I thought I'd give this a try. I'm so glad that I did. I thought the world building was excellent and it makes me want to take a trip to Ireland even more than I did before. I thought Breen's character development was good, but some of the side characters could have used a bit more development. Keegan who I assume is going to play a much larger role as the story develops is a good example, Breen spends a good deal of time with him, but I don't fee like we know him yet. We know he's driven by duty and has high expectations of everyone, but we don't get to know the man very well, at least not yet. As for Breen, I really liked that she went from a timid kind of push over character to someone that while she was skeptical of the new world she is now part of, was willing to speak up for herself. She communicated her needs even if people weren't willing to listen, and she was willing to train to fulfil her duties even if she didn't always want to.

I felt that the magic system was a bit under developed. When it came to Breen developing her abilities, everything just kind of came to her without much effort. Maybe that was by design, but it felt too easy considering how hard she has to work at everything else. I also didn't love the ending. The audiobook is over 15 hours long, and the ending makes it feel like a really long introduction instead of a standalone novel. I'm very much looking forward to the next book, but I feel like the conclusion could have been a more sound as I prefer books even if they are part of a series to feel like they stand on their own. The ending almost felt like a cliffhanger after such a long book, I don't have a feeling of closure. It does make me want to pick up the next book ASAP, so that works in the author's favor. I'm looking forward to book 2 and seeing where the series is headed.
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Surprise Announcement from Ilsa Madden-Mills

"Spider is a delicious, forbidden read you won't be able to put down."
–Melanie Harlow, USA Bestselling Author

Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills has a surprise just for you! SPIDER has an incredible new look, and to celebrate it’s ZERO PENNIES for a limited time only!

From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills comes a new standalone romance about a flawed hero and the woman he can’t forget.

"She crossed my path and changed my whole direction."

He called himself Spider.

I just knew him as the sinfully gorgeous guy with eyes of fire that fate sat next to me on the airplane.

I didn’t know who he really was . . . British rock star . . . my stepbrother.

He kissed me because he thought we’d never see each other again. We would.

Everyone warned me about him.
They told me he was ruthless and cold and screwed up.
They said he’d leave me with a hole in my heart.

Maybe I should have listened.
Maybe I should have built up a fortress to keep him out.
But I crumbled instead.

They say an unbreakable thread connects those who are destined to meet. If that’s true, then the moment he sat next to me, we were bound together forever.

He just had to figure it out before it’s too late…

Don’t miss this steal! Grab your copy for ZERO PENNIES today!
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Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/SpiderNC

About Ilsa Madden-Mills
Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is best known for her angsty new adult romances and romantic comedies.

Eight of her eleven novels have placed in the Amazon Top 10 Best-seller List: Dirty English #1; Fake Fiancée and I Dare You #2; I Bet You, Filthy English, and Very Bad Things #6; Boyfriend Bargain #8; The Last Guy, her collaboration with Tia Louise, #4.

A former high school English teacher, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice, and of course, Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.

She's addicted to frothy coffee beverages, cheesy magnets, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females. Feel free to stalk her online.

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Review: Love Stories: A Novella Collection by Samantha Young

Love Stories: A Novella Collection by Samantha Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via the author, all opinions are my own.

This is a collection of novellas that were previously available in Samantha's newsletter. If you are a subscriber, you may be familiar with these stories. This has a little bit of everything for every romance reader. I really enjoyed all of them, each one of them has a familiar romance trope or two, but they were all very enjoyable and have a good level of heat.

Every reader should be able to find a story they enjoy. I liked every single one of them. I love collections like this. You can read them one story at a time or read them straight through. Each of the stories gives you the sense of completion where some novellas leave you wanting more and wondering what happened with the characters. These don't feel like a prequel to a longer story. I felt like each one of the stories was well developed and had the feel of a novel even if it wasn't quite as long.

If you are a fan of Samantha's work, I highly recommend this collection. It is a great way to get to know her work as well.

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BLOG TOUR: BEARD IN HIDING by Penny Reid

 

Beard in Hiding, the USA Today bestselling companion novel to the Winston Brothers and Solving for Pies series is LIVE! Penny Reid delivers a heartfelt romantic comedy about two lost souls who find love in the most unexpected way.  

Propositioning the Iron Wraiths’ money man seemed like a good idea at the time…

Diane Donner—recently divorced pillar of polite society—is craving danger. She’s tired of playing it safe and she knows just the sexy criminal motorcycle man to proposition for a good time. Problem is, she doesn’t actually know his name.

Jason “Repo” Doe never takes risks. So when the queen of local commerce walks into his club, looking to get risky and frisky, Jason knows the smartest thing to do is save himself a headache while saving the new divorcee from her worst impulses.

But then one thing leads to another, and the memory of just-one-night doesn’t feel like enough.

Theirs is a story with no future, because how can a dangerous criminal win (and keep) a queen?

‘Beard In Hiding’ is book #4.5 in the Winston Brothers series, is a full length contemporary romantic comedy about two lost souls in their 40s, and is a companion novel to the Winston Brothers and Solving for Pie series.

If you want to get the full immersive Green Valley world experience, I recommend reading ‘Truth or Beard,’ ‘Beard Science,’ ‘Engagement and Espionage,’ and ‘Marriage and Murder’ beforehand. ‘Beard In Hiding’ contains spoilers for these four books (in specific).

Grab your copy TODAY!

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Excerpt

“Just say it, Diane.”

“Fine.” She lifted her chin. “I want someone to court me.”

And there it was. I continued staring at her, counting the seconds as they ticked by. Why she couldn’t just say, I don’t want you, you’re not good enough for me, I had no idea. Did she think I needed to be let down gently? 

Well, now. That would be a first.

“I want dinners and flowers,” she went on. “And picnics and romantic gestures. I don’t want to constantly be making excuses for someone, for their lack of ability or skill or generosity.”

I deadened the needlingly ache behind my ribcage, suffocated thoughts and desires long abandoned. “Diane. You don’t need to say anything else.”

“I don’t?” Her features brightened and she approached the arm of the couch. “You understand what I mean?”

“Yes. You mean you don’t want me.” And that was fine, and it made sense, and I wasn’t going to dwell on it, and now I needed to go.

“What?” she snapped, her head tilting to the side like she needed to inspect me from a different angle. “No! No, you irritating man. Did I say that? That’s not at all what I’m saying.”

“Then what do you mean?” I glanced over her head toward the room’s exit, impatient to leave. I didn’t belong here, and I’d rather be stranded outside in a snowstorm than accept any more of her charity. 

“I mean, I want you.” 

My eyes cut back to hers and as I waited for the but—because there was always a but—I ignored the tightness seizing my lungs, the hope.  

When she kept on looking at me, as though expecting a reaction, I prompted, “But?”

“But nothing.” She placed her hands on her hips, her tone salty, impatient.

What? “There’s always a ‘but.’”

“Fine. Yes. Okay. There is a ‘but.’” Her eyes moved like she might roll them, but stopped when they reached the ceiling. “I want you. But . . . only if you want me the same way.”

I stared at her and that’s all I could do because I was so damn confused. 

Meanwhile, she peaked at me, nibbling her bottom lip, looking so goddamn gorgeous in her little nighty.

“Do you . . . want me?” The uncertainty in her voice, the vulnerability, hit low in my stomach.

“Pardon?” I choked out because, was hers a real question? How could she not know how much I wanted her? Hadn’t I just kissed the hell out of her? Hadn’t her breast just filled my palm? Hadn’t I just literally said the words, I want you? 

Her tongue flicked out to lick her lips and she stepped fully around the couch, her eyes huge. “I’ve been in a lonely, one-sided romance before. I don’t want that. I want something deep, something meaningful for both people involved. I’m not saying we have to get married. Lord knows, I’ve had enough of marriage to last a lifetime. I don’t think I’ll ever get married again. What I’m talking about is something real, authentic, passionate, but also—above all else—loving. Because what I’ve never had, what I’ve never known, is that.”

“I . . . don’t understand.”

Diane took a deep breath and then said loudly, “I want a relationship,” like the words were a painful confession and the only way she could speak it out loud was by shouting them.

I stared at her for a moment longer before finally asking, “With who?”

Her lips twitched. “With you.”

What? “With me.”

“Yes. But a real one, not just—and I can’t believe I’m saying this—not just sex.”

I barely heard a word she’d said, instead repeating, “With me,” again because the idea was absurd. A relationship with me? Is she crazy?

“Yes. With you. As I’ve said.”

“But . . . Why?”

“What do you mean why?” She frowned. It was severe. “Have you met you?”

About Penny Reid

Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she writes kissing books. Penny is an obsessive knitter and manages the #OwnVoices-focused mentorship incubator / publishing imprint, Smartypants Romance. She lives in Seattle Washington with her husband, three kids, and dog named Hazel.

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Review: Rebel Without A Claus by Emma Hart

Rebel Without A Claus by Emma Hart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via the author, all opinions are my own.

This was hilarious and the perfect read to get you ready for the holidays.  If you are a fan of romcoms and need a little Christmas spirit to brighten your mood, this is a great book to do just that.  I know I've been really stressed out over the last few weeks for several reasons, and this was the perfect read to relax with.  There was great banter between the characters, and some really funny moments.  I really loved the concept of the family that runs the single most Christmassy booth in the Holiday Village in their winter wonderland destination town is a total Grinch!

Quinn hates Christmas, but her family runs the Christmas Grotto in town every year where her dad plays the part of Santa.  This year he's got the flu, and Quinn is left to run things by herself while the rest of her family is busy with other parts of the family business or taking care of other family members.  Left to find a fill in Santa at the last minute, Quinn is faced with the last person she ever expected to see again, Nicholas White.  Nicholas offers to fill in as Santa while he's in town for the holidays visiting family, but Quinn isn't so sure it's a good idea.  They have some unfinished business from the past that she isn't quite over.  Left with no other choice and no other options, they agree to work together and clear the air.  Nicholas is determined to get back in Quinn's good graces and figure out if there is anything she actually does like about the Christmas season.

The characters in this were really great.  As always there is a hilarious grandparent character that Emma Hart does so well!  I loved the grandpa, his antics added comic relief throughout the book.  Quinn's family was a riot, I'm glad she finally told her sister she was being completely ridiculous.  I really enjoyed Nick and Quinn together as well.  It was kind of an enemies to lovers romance, but they weren't really enemies, Quinn was being cautious and it played along nicely with her Scrooge attitude toward the holiday season.  It was fun to watch her grouchy persona melt as Christmas grew closer and she became more festive each day.  I'm kind of with her when it comes to Christmas, I hate crowds and all of the consumerism that surrounds the holiday.  I love the lights and the family time and the holiday traditions we have.  

If you are in need of a fun read to get your holiday spirit going, give this a read.  It is funny, has great banter, moderate spice, and a good story.  It was exactly what I needed after a couple of weeks of craziness and I'm feeling a bit more ready to embrace the holidays.

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