RELEASE BLITZ: Among the Heather by Samantha Young

 

Among the Heather by Samantha Young is now live! 

He’s a disgraced actor. She’s the daughter of Hollywood royalty. Both are hiding in the Scottish Highlands, but despite their antagonistic attraction, they can’t seem to hide from each other…

North Hunter has worked hard to step out of the shadows of his orphaned upbringing into the limelight of Hollywood. He never imagined a dark moment from his childhood returning to destroy everything he’d built. Devastated, he finds comfort in the isolation of an exclusive members-only club in the Scottish Highlands, even if the club comes with a prickly estate manager who sets his blood on fire.

As the eldest daughter of a Hollywood legend, Aria Howard has learned the hard way that people will use her to get to her father. When her last relationship ended badly, Aria fled to Scotland. Running Ardnoch Estate provides distance from a life that has never fit comfortably. But when defamed Scottish actor North Hunter disrupts her sanctuary, Aria is on the defense. The cocky actor is the last thing she needs, and despite their searing attraction, Aria is determined to dislike him.

But one night of drunken forced proximity with North leads Aria to share insecurities seeded by her horrible ex. When North offers to prove her ex wrong by taking Aria to his bed for a no-strings distraction, they begin an affair neither expected. However, their fiery liaison leads to a deep emotional connection that unsettles them both, and North will have to break down more than Aria’s trust issues if they’re ever to have a future together. He’ll need to protect her from a past that just doesn’t want to stay buried… or lose something far more essential to his existence than his career.

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Meet Samantha

Samantha Young is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. She's been nominated for several Goodreads Choice Awards. Samantha writes adult contemporary and paranormal romance, YA urban fantasy and YA contemporary fiction and is currently published in 31 countries.

She resides in Scotland.

 

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Review: Guy's Girl by Emma Noyes

Guy's Girl by Emma Noyes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided and ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.  I did end up listening to the final published version of the audiobook.

I don't know how to feel about this book.  This is certainly not the type of book I typically read.  When I initially read the synopsis, I thought it was a romcom or a YA romance, it is neither.  This is pretty heavy as it focuses on mental heath (anxiety and PTSD to be specific) and eating disorders.  It is not YA at all, there are some mature scenes.  It is very well written  as the author pulls from her own experiences and acknowledges that it may be triggering for some readers. 

Ginny has always felt more comfortable when surrounded by guys.  She has three brothers, and when she went to college she found herself three more of her choosing.  Ginny is a people pleaser and a rule follower, she lets people use her because she can't bear to tell people no in the event they might not like her.  She always does what is expected, but on the inside she is struggling with the consequences of always doing what other want, focusing on her weight and self acceptance.  She has body dysmorphia and struggles with her self-worth.  She is struggling in silence and hides that she is struggling first with anorexia and then bulimia.   Adrian is also struggling in silence.  His trauma occurred before he was born in Hungary.  His father was killed in a tragic car accident, and his loss has shaped his entire personality and view on relationships.  His mother was very depressed when his father died, and no one in his family really dealt with their grief.  Adrian grew up with a very skewed vision of love and relationships because of it.  

Adrian and Ginny knew each other in college, but it isn't until they reconnect after graduation that they have a spark.  They develop a friendship that turns into something more.  Unfortunately because they are both dealing with very real monsters that they aren't ready to face yet, their relationship isn't able to flourish.  Adrian doesn't know how to love anyone and continues to hurt Ginny.  Ginny continues to choose men who cannot give her the love she needs so much and equate their lack of reciprocation to her looks.  The author does an amazing job of describing how the brain works in mysterious ways and focuses on things that aren't related.  As an outsider looking in who has never experienced the trauma of either main character was hard for me to know if Ginny and Adrian were good for each other.  Their relationship seemed to be more damaging than healing, though it did pack an emotional punch.  

Overall I think this was well written and given the fact it was not at all what I anticipated it was a good read.  This was an emotional rollercoaster, and I think we need more books that talk about mental health.  

View all my reviews

Review: Yours for the Taking by Gavrielle Korn

Yours for the Taking by Gabrielle Korn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received both a print and audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This book is set in the not so far future in the wake of irreversible climate change. In an attempt to save humanity, structures call Insides were built around the world and citizens were hand selected to populate the Insides. One particular Inside is run by Jacqueline Millender, a billionaire feminist with very specific criteria and ideas for how her structure is going to run. Her vision is a female only society, and the women chosen to come on board Jacqueline puts together a team of women who fit her brand and buy into her initial vision of utopia that she is building. As their Inside becomes a reality, it becomes clear that what looked good on paper does not always turn out well in reality and those working for Jaqueline begin questioning the ethics and sustainability of the world that they have built.

This was the perfect read after just having read Can We All Be Feminists?: New Writing from Brit Bennett, Nicole Dennis-Benn, and 15 Others on Intersectionality, Identity, and the Way Forward for Feminism, a book of non-fiction essays about intersectional feminism. It was timely that I had just finished that prior to reading this. Korn's book touches on exactly why Jacqueline's version of feminism sounds good and is compelling, but it also alienates alot of women based on many other factors. This is a compelling dystopian sci-fi novel that calls into play the very real issue of not only women's issues but how race, class, disability, and the LGBTQIA community are impacted by one person's version of feminism and activism. In this case what Jaqueline feels is good for her should be good for all, and we quickly discover that isn't the case. If you don't agree with her or fit her vision she will find someone who does and will get the job done. She's got the funds and influence to make things happen.

Overall, I enjoyed this. It reads a bit on the YA side from the dialogue and character development perspective in my opinion. The book spans around 20 years so the timeline moves quickly so we can see the development of the community from start to finish. The author takes on alot in that amount of time and I felt parts of the plot get lost because of it. We get alot of tell vs show as the book is a bit more character driven than. The ending is a bit open ended (not a cliffhanger), which as a preference I do no prefer. I like more concrete endings with things wrapped up neatly.

View all my reviews

Blog Tour: Broken Romeo by Katana Collins

 

I was looking for a job, not a Romeo… because everyone knows how that story ends.

Broken Romeo, an all-new enemies to lovers, second chance romance, and the first book in the Shattered Hearts series from USA Today bestselling author Katana Collins is now available!

I’ve got three hundred bucks left in my bank account, two jobs, and one final chance to make it as an actress in New York City.

After years of being a chorus girl, I arrive at my first Broadway audition for a leading role thinking I finally have a shot at making it...until I come face to face with the director, Holden James—the rich quarterback from college who broke my heart and stabbed me in the back three years ago.

But I’m not the same girl I was in college. And unlike three years ago, I now know just what—and who—I’m dealing with. This time, I know how to play the game. In this cutthroat business, I need to remember the truest theatrical lesson of all:

For never was a story of more woe... than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

Start reading today!

FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3VS7BSV

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/brokenromeo

Add Broken Romeo to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3W2mCBK

Keep reading for a look inside Broken Romeo!

My shoulders go rigid. I have thirteen missed calls.

Thirteen. 

Most days, I get one or two calls tops… and they’re usually spam. 

Not only do I have thirteen missed calls, but I have thirteen new voice messages. All from the same 516 area code.

I press play and hold the phone up to my ear. 

Holden’s voice filters from the speaker. “Kate, it’s me. Look, we need to talk. I don’t want to have this conversation over the phone—”

She wasn’t exactly memorable back then. The echo of his voice roils my stomach, and I pull the phone away from my ear to look at the phone number he called from. 

The same number as the other twelve messages—Holden’s number. 

Holden called me thirteen times. 

My breath catches. I haven’t known his number for years. I haven’t known how to reach him, despite the multiple pissed off speeches I’ve memorized through the years. Speeches I thought he’d never hear because I never had a way to contact him… 

Until now. 

The power of that makes my heart patter against my ribcage with the speed of a hummingbird’s wings.

 It’s a power I shouldn’t be trusted with. 

I delete the messages and shove my phone back deep into my pocket as Jill gives me a questioning glance. “Who was that?” 

My throat tightens. She’s the one person I can’t lie to. “It was him.” 

Her eyes go wide, filling with hope. “Maybe—”

 “No,” I cut her off. 

“You don’t even know what I was going to say!” 

Curt finishes taking an order and scribbles some initials onto a cup, then thrusts it at me to make the iced matcha latte. I bend, retrieving the green powder from its container, and toss a scoop in the bottom of the cup. 

“Fine,” I concede, uncapping the almond milk. 

“What were you going to say?”

“Maybe he’s calling to offer you the part—” 

“No,” I answer again, shoving the ice scoop into the bin. 

“But how do you know?” 

“I just do.” I dump the ice into the tea shaker, then push the lid on top. Giving it a good shake, I speak over the clatter. “If you’re being offered a role, the director isn’t the one who calls you. The casting director calls your agent. Then your agent calls you with the contracts that you comb through before there’s any formal acceptance.”

I hate the deflated look on Jill’s face. In some ways, she’s taking this even harder than I am. 

Or I’m just that good at shutting off my emotions. 

Which is the exact reason I didn’t get the part. Because Holden knows me too well. He knows I have trouble connecting, exposing my vulnerable side. Especially with him. 

“The only reason Holden would call me himself is if I didn’t get the part, and he thinks this somehow makes him the hero to tell me in person.” I stare into the frothy light green beverage and snap the lid on top, avoiding Jill’s pitying stare. 

A deep voice speaks up, resonating over the ambient noise of the coffee shop. “Maybe if you returned my calls, you’d know what the hell I wanted.” 

My breath stalls halfway out of my lungs, and I snap my gaze up. 

Holden.

For more information about Katana Collins and her books, visit her website: 

https://katanacollins.com

https://www.patreon.com/KatanaCollins

Review: Among the Heather by Samantha Young

Among the Heather by Samantha Young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided both an audio and print ARC of this book via the author, all opinions are my own. The narrators were fantastic! You can't go wrong with either either format. I find Samantha's books hard to put down no matter what form they come in and this book was no different.

This is book 2 in the The Highlands series, a spinoff of The Adair Family series. It does however read as a standalone. If you have read the previous book in this series, you will have met our main characters North and Aria and you will know that there is something between them. What you don't know is why they rub each other the wrong way. If you haven't met them yet, don't worry, each book in the series is a complete standalone and works as a companion to the other novels with the familiar setting of the Ardnoch Estate and the Scottish Highlands as a background and familiar characters that we've met in other novels that have their own novels and some characters that may be main characters in the future.

Aria Howard runs Ardnoch Estate, an exclusive members only club for celebrities to escape when they need a break from the public eye. She is daughter of a supermodel and Hollywood director, so she is well aware of the lifestyle patrons of the estate live and want to escape for a time. After several bad relationships with actors, she has vowed to never date another actor again. Enter North Hunter, a successful Scottish actor who has recently gotten some bad press for something that happened when he was a teenager. Hollywood and the media immediately judge him guilty without all of the facts, so he hides out in Ardnoch until he is ready to make a statement and deal with the fallout. Aria is immediately attracted to him, which makes her blood boil, so she is uncharacteristically judgmental and mean to him at every turn. This is more about her insecurities than North himself, so when her little sister intervenes and forces them to talk to one another, Aria finally lets her guard down a little and gets to know him a bit. Turns out he isn't like the other men she's dated in the past and might just be worth breaking down the walls she's constructed. North is patient, kind, and willing to go at her pace to make things work but at every turn external forces are determined to undermine what they are building.

This like the other books was great! It had a ton of emotion between the two main characters and great character development. This also has a good level of spice when the time comes, so if you are reading out and about or listening to the audiobook beware it is NSFW at times. Aria has alot of trauma to work through with past relationships and insecurity about her body. With North's help she slowly regains confidence in her appearance, trust in her relationship with him and her family, and confidence in herself. Like the other books this has a bit of a suspense subplot for each of our characters.

Overall, I really enjoyed North and Aria and cannot wait for Theo and Sarah's book out in February.

View all my reviews

Release Blitz: Broken Romeo by Katana Collins

 I was looking for a job, not a Romeo… 

Broken Romeo, an all-new enemies to lovers, second chance romance, and the first book in the Shattered Hearts series from USA Today bestselling author Katana Collins is now available!

I’ve got three hundred bucks left in my bank account, two jobs, and one final chance to make it as an actress in New York City.

After years of being a chorus girl, I arrive at my first Broadway audition for a leading role thinking I finally have a shot at making it...until I come face to face with the director, Holden James—the rich quarterback from college who broke my heart and stabbed me in the back three years ago.

But I’m not the same girl I was in college. And unlike three years ago, I now know just what—and who—I’m dealing with. This time, I know how to play the game. In this cutthroat business, I need to remember the truest theatrical lesson of all:

For never was a story of more woe... than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

Start reading today!

FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3VS7BSV

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/brokenromeo

Add Broken Romeo to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3W2mCBK

For more information about Katana Collins and her books, visit her website: 

https://katanacollins.com

https://www.patreon.com/KatanaCollins

Review: Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided both a print and audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I don't know why but I love King Arthur lore.  I originally thought this was retelling, but it is not.  It certainly is a nice twist on Arthurian lore and I really like what the author did with this.  

Gwendoline is the daughter of the current king of Camelot and betrothed to Arthur, descendent of the famous King Arthur.  Gwen and Arthur can't stand each other, but their parents have decided that they should spend the summer together getting to know each other before they wed.  Shortly after his arrival, Gwen and Arthur discover secrets about one another and devise and advantageous plan that will help both of them.  You see Arthur definitively likes boys, and while Gwen has no experience liking anyone she very much feels some sort of way about Lady Knight Bridget.  They agree to play up their engagement, while seeking the company of their preferred partner.  Antics ensue.  In the meantime, Art and Gwen slowly develop a truce as they get to know one another.

This was a really cute coming of age story as the characters have to work together to save Camelot from those who seek to overthrow the King and seek love at the same time.  Arthur was hilarious and always up to something ridiculous.  Both Gwen and her brother Gabe were raised to believe in a set of rules and expectations that they had to abide by, whereas Art just did whatever he wanted no matter the consequences.   Art really inspired them to step out of their comfort zones a bit, break some rules, and make some new ones.  

This book is set in a historical setting but uses more modern language.  I think that is important to note as it will throw some readers off.  There are a few more violent scenes toward the end not related to the tournament that feel a bit out of place compared to the overall cozy nature of the book.  Overall though, I really enjoyed this.

View all my reviews