The Big, Not-So-Small, Curvy Girls, BBW Romance, Dating Agency

20 Thursday Jun 2013

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Ava Catori, The Big Not-So-Small Curvy Girls BBW Romance Dating Agency

Becky Holgate is starting up a dating service catering to plus size women and meets Reed Amwell when he does head shots for her website. She knows the gorgeous Reed is off-limits, he’s getting married at the end of the year, but spending some time with the tempting man just makes her fall harder. Meeting Becky makes Reed re-evaluate some things about himself – not just his marriage plans, but his views on curvier women. He’s always been attracted to slim women, but Becky’s playful spirit draws him like no other. Is it possible that he’s about to marry the wrong woman?

The Big, Not-So-Small, Curvy Girls, BBW Romance, Dating Agency is a funny, quirky, sweet little romance. It comes in at just over a hundred pages and is the beginning of a new series for Catori. I did have a couple of issues with the writing style (and maybe editing), mostly with the way the point of view would change mid-section, sometimes even mid-paragraph. It occasionally made it difficult to tell who was talking, taking me out of the flow of the story for a bit. I know that some people would find this a deal breaker but for me it was just sometimes annoying.

Overall, though, I thought the story was great. The characters are fun and I hope that Becky’s best friend gets the next story as she really needs a good solid relationship. I love that Catori gave Reed a realistic view on his breakup and the subsequent relationship with Becky. He wants to take it slow and not rush into anything with her. It’s not healthy to move straight from one long term relationship to another and he admits that he needs some time. Becky is hilarious and she gets into one embarrassing situation after another, especially in front of Reed, but it’s mostly due to that zest for life that she has. She’s bubbly and energetic and throws herself into things, which makes her an appealing character. I wish I could be more like her sometimes.

If you are willing to overlook a few errors in the grammar, give The Big, Not-So-Small, Curvy Girls, BBW Romance, Dating Agency a shot. You’ll find yourself drawn to the vivacious Becky in a heartbeat.

Act Like You Love Me

19 Wednesday Jun 2013

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Act Like You Love Me, Book Review, Cindi Madsen

Brynn McAdams marched to her own drummer in high school – an awkward, geeky drummer – but now she’s all grown up and nothing like that girl. At least she believes so most of the time. Then her crush, still handsome and out of her league, comes back to town to help direct her community play and get his family’s lake house in shape to sell . . . and doesn’t recognize her. Now she can use her acting ability to pretend to be someone else, a confident girl who Sawyer would be attracted to. Sawyer’s last girlfriend was an actress and things ended so badly he never wants anything to do with one again. Too bad he can’t ignore his attraction to Brynn. She’s sweet, funny and most importantly honest, nothing like his ex. The closer they get, the guiltier Brynn feels, but can she come clean about who she really is without losing Sawyer forever?

I’m not a big fan of deception romances – where someone is lying to or misleading the other – but I can kinda understand why Brynn did it. They aren’t that far out of high school and those teenage years can leave some deep scars. I get that she didn’t expect the relationship to progress as far as it did and that she quickly was past the point where telling the truth made sense. She’s an appealing characters, foibles and all, with a little Lucy Ricardo in her so that things quickly spiral away from her. Plus Sawyer states that he has no intention of staying. Mix that in with her believing that he couldn’t really like her anyway and her reasoning becomes a little more believable.

Sawyer has his own problems stemming from watching his dad succumb to Lou Gehrig’s disease while he was in high school. Seeing his mom have to take care of his dad while he faded away left scars, especially with Sawyer’s fear that it could happen to him too and that his wife would have to do the same thing. Throw in a bad relationship and it’s a given that he’ll be a little romance shy. And really, who could blame him for being upset once he finds out that Brynn lied to him. It’s a romance so of course it works out, but it would be totally understandable to have him walk away.

Dani from Falling for Her Fiance plays a supporting role as Brynn’s friend and it’s fun to get an update on her and Wes. But if you haven’t read it, don’t worry. Dani does a great job of filling in any of the relevant details that might apply to this story.

In Act Like You Love Me, Cindi Madsen gives us a fast-paced and interesting read, one that pulls you in right away and makes you impatient for Brynn’s runaway car to crash. I mean that in a good way – you know things are going to get messy but you care enough to see it to the end.

Suddenly Beautiful Blog Tour

17 Monday Jun 2013

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Boone Brux, Suddenly Beautiful

Another fun blog tour starts today for Boone Brux’s yummy looking paranormal romance, Suddenly Beautiful (ending July 5th with yours truly). See below for all the details. And be sure to check out their giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card here.

*****

Being the son of Aphrodite isn’t a walk in the clouds. Rebelling against his demi-god status, billionaire make-up mogul Toraos Stephanos fights to separate his personal life and the immortal world by swearing off demi-god girlfriends forever. Too bad his newest employee can’t take the hint.

Though Nikki secretly pines for her smoking hot boss, no way will she jeopardize her job and independence professing her love to a guy so clearly out of her league. Too bad that leaves her with only imagining him naked and thinking evil thoughts about the new girl.

After a single bottle of Ambrosia and one night of passion… Nikki finally thinks she has a chance with the man of her dreams. But the next morning, Tor pretends like nothing happened, leaving Nikki with an emerging drive for combat—after all, turns out she is the daughter of Ares and she’s about to make her mama proud.

All is fair in love and war… and Nikki’s not about to let anyone forget it.

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Suddenly-Beautiful-Entangled-Covet-ebook/dp/B00CGFJ16Q/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17834438-suddenly-beautiful

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/suddenly-beautiful-boone-brux/1115161577?ean=9781622661169&itm=1&usri=9781622661169

Author Bio:

As a multi-published and an award winning author, Boone’s writing drips with experiences from real life.

Addicted to anything that might make a good story, she weaves tales that range from dark fantasy to humorous romance. Settled in the icy regions of Alaska with the love of her life and twin daughters, it’s not uncommon to find her tapping away on her iPad on a windy beach or the barren tundra.

Be warned, anyone and everything is fodder for one of Boone’s novels.

Link To Find Boone Online:

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4420439.Boone_Brux

Website: http://boonebrux.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/boonebrux

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

*****

Blog Tour Schedule

June 17th, 2013 (Monday)

My Krazy Obsession

http://mykrazyyobsession.blogspot.com/

June 18th, 2013 (Tuesday)

Fade Into Fantasy

http://fadeintofantasy.com

June 18th, 2013 (Tuesday)

Jeannie zelos book reviews

http://jeanniezelos.wordpress.com/

June 19th, 2013 (Wednesday)

Read-Love-Blog

www.Read-Love-Blog.com

June 20th, 2013 (Thursday)

Butterfly-o-Meter Books

http://butterflyometerbooks.blogspot.com/

June 21st, 2013 (Friday)

Kindle and Me

http://www.kindleandme.com

June 24th, 2013 (Monday)

RhiReading

http://www.rhireading.com

June 25th, 2013 (Tuesday)

The Smutty Kitty

www.thesmuttykitty.com

June 25th, 2013 (Tuesday)

Books Glorious Books

http://gloriousbooks.blogspot.co.uk/

June 26th, 2013 (Wednesday)

Mama’s Reading Break

http://mamasreadingbreak.blogspot.com/

June 27th, 2013 (Thursday)

In Shadows

http://brynnacurryguests.blogspot.com

June 27th, 2013 (Thursday)

Picked by Poison

http://www.pickedbypoison.com

June 28th, 2013 (Friday)

Random Musings of a Curious Mind

http://www.blog.jmarkafghans.com

July 1st, 2013 (Monday)

The Book Cellar

www.thebookcellarx.com

July 1st, 2013 (Monday)

Sapphyria’s Steamy Book Reviews

http://www.saphssteamybooks.blogspot.com

July 1st, 2013 (Monday)

Storm Goddess Book Reviews & More

www.stormgoddessbookreviews.blogspot.com

July 1st, 2013 (Monday)

Scorching Book Reviews

http://www.scorchingbookreviews.blogspot.com

July 2nd, 2013 (Tuesday)

Flirting with Romance

http://flirtingwithromance.blogspot.com

July 3rd, 2013 (Wednesday)

Seeing Night Reviews

http://seeingnight.blogspot.com

July 4th, 2013 (Thursday)

Manga Maniac Cafe

http://www.mangamaniaccafe.com

July 5th, 2013 (Friday)

Romantic Reads and Such

http://www.romanticreadsandsuch.wordpress.com

The Rule-Breaker

14 Friday Jun 2013

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Book Review, Rhonda Nelson, The Rule-Breaker, Uniformly Hot!

The Rule-Breaker is amazingly sweet and devastating at the same time. Ranger Eli Weston is spending his leave helping his best friend’s family construct a memorial. His friend committed suicide while in the Middle East, the things he had seen too much for him to handle. Only Eli knows what really happened and is doing everything he can to keep that secret – he found the body and told everyone it was an accident. To make things even more stressful is the undeniable attraction Eli feels for his best friend’s ex-fiance. Shelby Monroe also feels that attraction … and knows Eli’s secret. Now she’s getting letters threatening to reveal the truth and only Eli can help. But will they be able to work together to guard the truth about their friend?

This story just broke my heart on so many levels: the unbearable things that Micah saw that lead him to commit suicide, the burden that Eli thinks he carries alone, the guilt he feels about his feelings for Shelby, that their romance seems to be doomed because of their loyalty to and love for a mutual friend. The world isn’t pretty and war especially so. The men and women who give up so much, not only the soldiers but those who love them, are a very special breed.

Eli’s had a tough life but he found a second home with Micah and his family. A home, though, that was originally threatened by his feelings for Shelby and then even more so after Micah’s death. He’s got a very strong sense of honor and loyalty that makes it hard for him to give in to the attraction to his friend’s love, regardless of whether Micah is in the picture or not. Shelby’s attraction to Eli made her realize that even though she loved Micah, she wasn’t in love with him, so she ended their engagement. With him now gone, she has the same conflicting feelings that Eli does. But with the help of friends and family, they eventually work through their problems. There’s a little bit of mystery involving who is sending the letters about their secret, but the core of the story is about the two of them accepting their feelings for each other and their friend.

I think my favorite part of the book is actually a secondary plot involving Shelby’s friend Mavis and local businessman Lee. Lee suffers from a stutter that makes him sound like Elmer Fudd and it has made romantic relationships very hard for him. He’s an amazing man – smart, kind and handsome – but he’s had a hard time with women. I almost wish that he’d gotten a story of his own because he is so compelling but I was very happy to have him finally get the girl.

Pick up The Rule-Breaker only if you are okay with shedding a few tears before the happy couples get it right in the end.

Loving a Prince Charming

12 Wednesday Jun 2013

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Book Review, Danielle Monsch, Fairy Tales & Ever Afters, Loving a Prince Charming

Prince Seth has been betrothed to Princess Rosamund from the time she was born, when she was cursed by an evil king. Kira has been Seth’s friend and bodyguard since they were kids. Even if their feelings for each other go deeper than friendship, Seth’s honor won’t let him act on them. Now Seth has found out how to end Rosamund’s curse and the two set out alone to do just that. But how can he save Rosamund with true love’s kiss if his heart belongs to another?

Loving a Prince Charming is the latest in Danielle Monsch’s “Fairy Tales & Ever Afters” series, following Loving an Ugly Beast. Like the previous story, this one is a quick read coming in at under 80 pages. This time we get a unique look at the tale of Sleeping Beauty, from the prince’s perspective, with interesting characters and a compelling story. Seth takes his job as future king very seriously and he honors his commitments, even those that his heart rebels against. The friendship that he has with Kira is very sweet. They know each other and love each other, even though they know it can’t go anywhere. There’s a bit of adventure as Seth and Kira go to rescue Rosamund, but the core of the store centers around their love and whether duty is stronger than the heart.

I have really enjoyed Monsch’s stories up to this point and I’m looking forward to more. She gives a new voice to well-loved fairy tales, a happy ever after with her own special twist but without losing the magic.

Wilde Nights in Paradise

11 Tuesday Jun 2013

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Book Review, Tonya Burrows, Wilde Nights in Paradise, Wilde Security

Jude Wilde, a man who looks forward and never back, is not happy to find out that his latest assignment is to play bodyguard to ADA Libby Pruitt, a woman left behind. Their relationship ended very badly and Libby wants nothing to do with Jude and thinks that the threats are out of proportion. But when someone tries to kill her, they have to relocate to a safe house in Florida. With nothing to do with their time and unable to leave the house, can they ignore the attraction that still simmers between them? And the heartache that their parting caused?

Tonya Burrows treats readers to another hot and spicy one with Wilde Nights in Paradise, the first book in her new “Wilde Security” series. Unlike SEAL of Honor, her first book in her “Hornet” series, this one is more about the relationship than it is the intrigue side of things. There is a mystery about who is stalking Libby but most of the book focuses on them getting to know each other again and whether they can come to terms with what happened eight years ago. It is just as engrossing, with addictive characters and a fluid writing style.

Libby has to decide if she can ever trust Jude again. His actions all those years ago devastated her and she pulled back into herself, never fully letting go of the hurt. But as she gets to know the man he has become, she starts to see his many layers and realize that she may not have known the young Jude as well as she thought.

Jude has some demons that have been haunting him for a long time, things that he’s been carrying around (and adding to) since he was a kid. There’s so much more to him than what he shows the world and the more time he spends with Libby the harder it is to hide that from her. He’s a good man – strong, courageous and caring – but he’s spent a long time thinking bad things about himself. The ending had me in tears, so thrilled to have him finally find acceptance.

The mystery over Libby’s stalker is resolved nicely although it plays a small part in the book since it’s basically just the catalyst to bring these two together. Wilde Nights in Paradise is really about learning to forgive, letting go and loving again.

And since this is the beginning of a series, we’re also introduced to Jude’s brothers and, I’m sure, heroes of future “Wilde Security” books. They aren’t a big part of the story, not like the other members of Hornet were in SEAL of Honor, but we’re given just enough details to be tantalizing. And for those that have read the “Hornet” book, we’re also given more details about Seth Harlan, the sniper who was mentioned but did not appear in SEAL of Honor. As I suspected, his book is going to be a heartbreaker … I can’t wait to see more from Burrowes with these two series.

Playing the Part

10 Monday Jun 2013

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Book Review, Playing the Part, Robin Covington

Playing the Part is hot … and I mean HOT, so if you don’t like a LOT of sizzle in your romance then this isn’t the book for you. But for those that do just sit back, grab a glass of wine and prepare to be charmed.

After the public end to her high profile Hollywood romance, Piper James will do almost anything to keep her publishing deal … even agree to help action star, and well-known playboy, Mick Blackwell act like he’s in love. Being the lead in the film adaption of Piper’s romance novel is Mick’s chance to do a more serious movie, if only he can figure out how to be convincing. He wants this role bad enough that he is willing to take advice from Piper, but one look at the gorgeous author has Mick thinking he can teach her a thing or two about love. Caught in Mick’s seductive draw, Piper agrees to a no strings affair, but on her terms – no publicity, no sleeping over, and it ends when she goes home. But Mick keeps changing their agreement … and Piper isn’t sure she has the willpower to stop him.

I loved these two. Piper is very understandably gun-shy with publicity after the destructive end of her previous relationship. She was hung out to dry in the press and it damaged not only her reputation, but also her self-confidence when her fiancé was caught, by her, sleeping with her former best friend. Now, feeling sexy again thanks to Mick, she’s willing to have a little fun as long as it stays just between them. Good luck with that! Mick is a hot commodity in Hollywood – he’s gorgeous, sexy and just the right touch of bad boy to make everyone, including Piper, drool. He plays by his own rules but he’s that delicious, seductive combination of confident rebel with just a touch of uncertain little boy.

Now, I’m sure you can imagine just what issues pop up for these two – the press, rumors, their feelings, uncertainty over a future – but Covington does a fantastic job of giving readers a well-developed, fast-moving, enthralling story regardless of the predictability. With bold and irresistible characters, a steamy and heartfelt storyline, and vivid writing, Playing the Part is a guaranteed pleasure to heat up a sultry summer night.

Act Like You Love Me Blog Tour

09 Sunday Jun 2013

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Act Like You Love Me, Cindi Madsen

Another wonderful blog tour starts tomorrow, featuring Cindi Madsen’s newest Act Like You Love Me. (And be sure to come back on the 19th for my review.)

All’s fair in acting and amore…

Brynn McAdams isn’t the awkward drama geek she was in high school—she’s grown up and confident, or at least she likes to think so. But when her old crush, the impossibly handsome and impossibly unattainable Sawyer Raines, comes back to town to direct her community play, Brynn finds herself determined to be someone other than the girl he doesn’t even recognize. Good thing she’s an excellent actress.

After his bad breakup in NYC, the last thing Sawyer wants is to get involved with another actress. But the glamorous and beautiful Brynn draws him in, even though as her director, he knows she’s off-limits. There’s just something about the woman that feels…familiar. Like home.

As Brynn’s lies start to snowball, she struggles to stop acting and come clean. But what if Sawyer is already falling for the fake Brynn, not the Brynn she truly is?

*****

As a bonus, Cindi is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card, a cute fish figurine, 2 e-copies of Falling for her Fiance, 2 e-copies of All the Broken Pieces and 1 e-copy of Act Like You Love Me. The fish figurine and gift card giveaway is US only but e-book giveaways are international. You can enter here

*****

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

June 10th, 2013 (Monday)

Bibliophilia, Please

http://bibliophiliaplease.blogspot.com/

June 10th, 2013 (Monday)

Mama’s Reading Break

http://mamasreadingbreak.blogspot.com/

June 10th, 2013 (Monday)

My Book Addiction

http://mybookaddictionreviews.com

June 11th, 2013 (Tuesday)

The Book Cellar

www.thebookcellarx.com

June 11th, 2013 (Tuesday)

Millie Romano

http://millieromano.blogspot.com.au/

June 12th, 2013 (Wednesday)

Kindle and Me

http://www.kindleandme.com

June 12th, 2013 (Wednesday)

Brynna Curry’s In Shadows

http://brynnacurryguests.blogspot.com

June 13th, 2013 (Thursday)

Cocktails and Books

http://www.cocktailsandbooks.com

June 13th, 2013 (Thursday)

The Autumn Review

http://www.autumnreview.com

June 14th, 2013 (Friday)

Coffee, Books and Me

http://www.coffeebooksandme.blogspot.com

June 17th, 2013 (Monday)

Fade Into Fantasy

http://fadeintofantasy.com

June 18th, 2013 (Tuesday)

Always YA at Heart

http://www.alwaysyaatheart.com

June 19th, 2013 (Wednesday)

Book Sniffers Anonymous

http://www.booksniffersanonymous.com/

June 19th, 2013 (Wednesday)

Romantic Reads and Such

https://romanticreadsandsuch.wordpress.com

June 20th, 2013 (Thursday)

Manga Maniac Cafe

http://www.mangamaniaccafe.com

June 21st, 2013 (Friday)

Book Loving Mom

http://www.booklovingme.com

*****

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cindi Madsen sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children. She is the author of YA novelsAll the Broken Pieces and Demons of the Sun, bestselling short romance Falling for Her Fiancé and the women’s fiction novel Cinderella Screwed Me Over.

ACT LIKE YOU LOVE ME buy links:

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17884619-act-like-you-love-me

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Act-Like-Love-Accidentally-ebook/dp/B00CNTSV7K/

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1115250847

FALLING FOR HER FIANCE Links:

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17209607-falling-for-her-fiance

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Falling-For-Her-Fiance/book-dUf017DfWkmD_D7bJA3_8g/page1.html

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/falling-for-her-fiance/id603611409

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Falling-For-Her-Fiance-ebook/dp/B00BFQ7C0E/

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/falling-for-her-fiance-cindi-madsen/1114137785

Additional links to Cindi’s pages:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CindiMadsen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cindi.madsen

Website: http://cindimadsen.com/

Loveswept Presents: Flirting with the Author – Chat Live with Ruthie Knox

08 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Misc

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Author Chat, Flirting with the Author, Ruthie Knox

***

Loveswept Presents: Flirting with the Author – Chat Live with Ruthie Knox

Wednesday, June 12 | 7PM EST, 4PM PST

Video & IM based chat | Powered by Shindig

Come celebrate the release of the steamy new Camelot romance FLIRTING WITH DISASTER live with USA Today bestselling author Ruthie Knox! Join our Shindig chatroom at 6:45 PM to mix and mingle, chat with other fans and members of the Loveswept team, and listen to Ruthie’s special playlist inspired by FLIRTING WITH DISASTER.

At 7PM Ruthie will take the stage and discuss her books, read a sneak peek, and answer your questions.

Find out what’s coming next from Ruthie!

All attendees are eligible to win exclusive swag!

See you there! RSVP for the chat at this link: http://bit.ly/14eGx0Z or at Loveswept’s spanking new Facebook page: http://facebook.com/readloveswept

Head Over Heels

07 Friday Jun 2013

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Book Review, Cindy Procter-King, Head Over Heels

In this update to a previously published story, Magee and Justin find out that “one tiny lie can cause a whole lot of trouble”. Magee has made some serious screw-ups at her family’s advertising firm that are threatening the business. She’s so desperate to bring in new business that she tells the CEO of a bike store that she’s a serious mountain biker … when her bike’s barely been out of the garage. In order to expand his chain of bike stores, Justin needs to secure a lucrative distribution deal with a manufacturer. He’s frantic when his girlfriend breaks up with him the day before his old-school client is coming to enjoy a weekend of mountain biking. He needs a stand-in fast and sexy cyclist Magee fits the bill perfectly …

The train wreck that happens when all of the lies and deceptions comes to light can be seen a mile away but the journey is still fun. Magee’s natural enthusiasm tends to get her into a few scrapes add in trying to pretend to be someone else, and she is a mess. But her fun-loving, caring side still comes out and it is quite entertaining. Justin’s father put business above everything else and he does not want to follow in his footsteps. He’s got a life plan and quirky, pretty Magee doesn’t fit into it, except he’s finding her joy very hard to resist. The two battle their attraction for a while but before long it proves too strong and things just get even more complicated.

I don’t usually like stories where the relationship is based on lies but the characters in Head Over Heels made it very appealing. It’s a fast read, funny and amusing – a great choice to throw in your beach bag this summer.