Book Review! Mine to Five by Tara September

Mine to Five by Tara September
Genre: Adult Fiction (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: October 30, 2019
Publisher: Plus it Up

'Tis the season for an office romance!

Working beyond nine to five and barely getting by, Melanie Thomas is eager to celebrate the impending holiday season and to toast the start of her dream marketing job over drinks with her boyfriend. Unfortunately, he has different plans—like seeing other women.

Indulging in a pity party with tequila, Melanie confides in a sexy stranger at the bar. It’s almost Christmas, one night of letting go won’t hurt anything, right? Turns out it just might—when the stranger is her new boss. Determined to succeed at her job, Melanie won’t be scared away. This is her chance, even if her hot boss has her feeling all merry and bright and wishing for a less than professional relationship.

Matthew Ryans is burned out and on thin ice at the company he helped build unless he gets his head back in the game. Yet, his head, both upper and lower, are quickly becoming obsessed with his new assistant. Still, he can’t seem to fully begrudge Melanie’s distracting presence and the Christmas joy she brings with it. Especially considering that her enthusiasm has him reenergized. For once, he is longing for Mondays, but with his heart and job on the line he can’t risk blurring the lines no matter how strong the lure of holiday mistletoe is.

Will their holiday passion be able to fuel mutual career success, or will it only get in their way in the New Year?

Mine to Five by Tara September was a fun little romantic comedy that was super quick to read. Matthew and Melanie have heaps of chemistry, and it doesn't take them long to realize it either. They try to ignore it at first.. well.. almost at first. *wink* They were adorable and funny. I thoroughly enjoyed their story. The narrator spoke clearly and portrayed Malanie perfectly with her attitude and spunk. It takes place around the holidays, so this is the perfect time of year to read it, but I would enjoy it no matter the season. This one was quite entertaining.

Mine to Five by Tara September was kindly provided to me by AudioBookworm Promotions for review. The opinions are my own.

This or That 

Waffle fries or curly fries? -  Neither. I like crispy steak frites … or McDonald’s fries, I know, but they are sooo good.
GIF with a hard g or soft g?  - Hard, like my men, lol.
Fantasy or science-fiction? Hmm both, but if pressed I’d say Sci-Fi. Love me some Star Wars.
Superman or Batman?  - Superman! He’s super, it’s in his name after all. This is actually a debate the hero and heroine have in my holiday office romance, Mine to Five.
Text message or call? - TXT! I have a phobia about having to sort out issues over the phone with strangers.
Contest a bill or having to call customer service? Ugh the worst. So if I can just send a strongly worded email instead, even better! Even my besties have accepted that I’m not the friend that will chat on the phone for hours. Rather do that in-person or on my blog.
Pancakes or waffles? - Waffles. It comes with built-in grooves to hold my syrup, whip cream and other toppings.
Doctor Who or the Walking Dead? I haven’t seen either *ducks for cover*
TV Shows or movies? Movies. I saw every film on the AFI 100 list before I graduated high school. My favorite actress is Katharine Hepburn.
Facebook or Twitter? Twitter for fun, Facebook for business.
Alice in Wonderland or Robinson Crusoe? Meh to both. But since Robinson Crusoe is technically considered the first novel ever, much is owed to Defoe for paving the way for today’s literature. <Tara tips imaginary hat and puts on imaginary opera gloves>
Being too warm or too cold? I live in Florida for a reason.
Netflix or Hulu?  Netflix. I’m OG like that. I used to have their DVD rental service, lol.
Work Hard or Play Hard? Play on player!
Passenger or Driver? Driver, because in our family that means I have control of the radio and can play an audiobook or Yacht Rock Radio. Plus, I can never sleep in the car anyway, so I might as well drive.
Amusement Park or Day at the Beach?  In Florida we can do both ;) I’m a huge Disney addict. Used to work for Disney corporate out in LA.
Honesty or Other’s Feelings? Other’s feelings!
Movie at Home or Movie at the Theater?  Theater. About two-thirds of the way back, in the center of the row. If not, I’ll wait in the lobby eating nachos and sour patch kids until the next showing. My husband meanwhile will likely have given up and will see something else solo.  Oh, and I LOVE previews. If we arrive after the previews, I’ll wait for the next showing, lol.

Click here to check out another book by this author!

Tara September is an award-winning... and losing contemporary romance writer living in Southwest Florida.

Tara is proud to be the world's most okayest mom to clones (identical twin boys). When not writing out her daydreams, she blogs over at When Tara Met Blog @tarametblog, a lifestyle and parenting blog of 14 years.

Holding a master's degree in journalism from NYU, she previously was the Corporate Communications Manager at WWE and PR Manager for The Walt Disney Company, Consumer Products.

To learn more about Tara September and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, BookBub, and Twitter.

Verla Bond is an American actor, improvisor, and storyteller, who makes her home in Los Angeles, California. She enjoys performing on the stage and screen, but especially loves recording audiobooks, where she gets the privilege of playing all kinds of diverse characters, such as British vampires, Irish leprechauns, and Southern gentlemen.

To learn more about Tara September, visit her on Facebook and Twitter.

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Spotlight on The Mer Chronicles with an Author Interview, Plus a Top 10 List!

Updrift (The Mer Chronicles #1) by Errin Stevens
Narrator: Sean Posvistak
Genre: Young Adult (Romantic Fantasy)
Date Published: November 2, 2015
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books

For Kate Sweeting, love isn’t in the air. It’s in the water.

Since her father died, Kate Sweeting’s home life has been in the pits, her well-being on life support. Her future looks desolate until she and her mother, Cara, make another plan: abandon their shriveled existence for more promising prospects on the coast, where Cara can play small-town librarian-bachelorette and Kate can figure out what’s up with that secretive Blake family from the beach.

Everyone is eerily captivated with Kate and her mother, and Cara is the first to figure out why when the man of her dreams arrives all dripping and devoted and closed-mouthed about what he intends. Kate is willing to go along with their subterfuge for a while, but eventually makes a charge for the water to learn what her mother is hiding. Gabe Blake is there waiting for her…and so is someone considerably less friendly. By the time Kate navigates her way home, everything will have changed for her—what she feels, what she wants, and what she’ll risk to be with the man she loves.

The Mer Top Ten

1. “Rise Up” (song) by Thomas Jack & Jasmine Thompson. Addictive and hypnotic – give it a listen!

2. “Splash” (movie) is still as funny and adorable as ever.

3. “Mermaid” (book) by Carolyn Turgeon is a lovely reinterpretation of mermaid mythology, all adulted up.

4. “Robinson Crusoe” (book) by Daniel Dafoe is a revered classic for a reason. There are no merfolk but lots of ocean and it’s yummy and you should read it.

5. “Gift from the Sea” (poetry anthology) by Ann Morrow Lindbergh is dreamy and thoughtful and just right.

6. “Calypso” (song) by Suzanne Vega combines ocean nymphs, a Greek hero, and folk rock music in the cleverest of ways. What’s not to love?

7. “The Little Mermaid” (animated movie) will have you singing ‘undah da see’ for the rest of your natural born life.

8. “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” (movie) has the BEST, most convincing mermaids the movie world has ever given us.

9. “The Mermaid” (poem) by Alfred Lord Tennyson is a warm bath of beauty you can take anytime you want.

10. “Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything” (song/video) by Veggietales is HILARIOUS. Charming for grown-ups and little ones alike.

1. Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
Well, I went to the ACX web site and did a LOT of internet research while I considered how to best approach my projects. I decided I don’t much like how often we all get asked to create on the if-come, so even though it was expensive for me, I carved out a section of Updrift for use as a script and put the project up as a paid gig through the ACX production system. I got such wonderful responses from some truly talented narrators and was so agitated about choosing the right one. I co-opted the opinion of a longtime friend and actress to listen with me to help me figure it out! She told me to go with the one that pulled the “right” emotional response as I felt it… and since she and I both thought Sean’s read was the most compelling, I made him an offer. Thankfully, he accepted.

Sean was an amazing professional to work with. He made every edit I requested, did everything smoothly and beautifully, and the second I could amass my next pile of cash to produce the sequel, I contacted him to see if he’d be interested, and he jumped all over it. Same with my third. I’m really grateful for the care Sean took with my stories and can’t recommend him highly enough.

2. Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing? 

No, but I found when I listened to auditions I did in fact have beliefs about how my characters should sound. As I write my fourth - and having produced three audiobooks at this point - I can say I do think of it, now. And it’s a helpful perspective to have, has helped me refine my own narrative voice on the page, I think.

3. How did you select your narrator?

Sean was one of several people who auditioned for Updrift on the ACX platform. His audition really stood out to me and my actress friend.

4. How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process?

Very closely, and Sean was the consummate professional throughout. He may remember the process differently, but just as proofing a written manuscript results in copy edits, the same little things come up in voice narration. I think there have been only two sentences in the whole of all three works where I asked Sean to re-read with a different tone. The rest was small stuff.

5. Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format? 

Oh my goodness, yes. Sean’s voice is just this terrific blend of compelling goodies, prompts for the listener to envision the story as well as hear it, and to feel more viscerally the tension the characters feel. And then I think his rich, resonant delivery does a much better job bringing both my hero and my antagonist to life.

6. If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go? 

Okay, so my imagination has been completely captured by the Starz series, Outlander, and as long as I could bring soap and moisturizer with me, I’d go back to 18th century Scotland in a flash!

7. If this title were being made into a TV series or movie, who would you cast to play the  primary roles? 

Oooo, that’s a hard one. I think I’d cast Mads Mikkelsen as Peter, Colton Haynes as Gabe, and Saoirse Ronan as Kate.

8. What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?

Try it! Especially on a long drive or if you have a headache! Seriously, hearing Sean read Updrift and Breakwater and Outrush was like listening to my dad read A Wrinkle in Time to me when I was a little girl. The human voice is a powerful storytelling tool, and while it needn’t replace traditional reading, it can add an amazing dimensionality to a story.

9. Have any of your characters ever appeared in your dreams?

Do you mean have I been haunted?!??? YES!!!! Since I started writing these books, I seriously think about them all the time, even when I’m supposed to be paying attention to something or someone else. I’m pretty sure I’ve annoyed every single one of my family members and friends who have to repeat portions of their conversation to me. And yes, I think about scenes and what-ifs even in sleep!

10. What’s next for you?

I’m going to finish a fourth for this series, Crosstide, if it kills me. And it might. Seriously, I think my brain got broke last year… ;-)

Errin Stevens writes paranormal romantic suspense stories from her home in Minnesota. When not wrestling with unruly narrative - or reading literary and commercial fiction like a fiend - you’ll find her poring over seed catalogues (winter) or gardening (the other three days of the year).

To learn more about Errin Stevens and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Sean is an aspiring game developer who's used his years of work on Youtube to excel at audiobook narration.

The Mer Chronicles Giveaway: 6-month Audible Subscription 

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A Book Review of Seaside Sweets by Melissa Chambers,Plus Guest Post!

Seaside Sweets (Love Along Hwy 30A #1) by Melissa Chambers 
Genre: Adult Fiction (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: June 19, 2018
Publisher: Perry Evans Press

After her ex runs up her credit card, clears her bank account, and gets her fired, Seanna Perry makes her escape to the quaint beach town of Seaside, Florida. The houses are pastel, the ocean air heaven, and the men hot as the Gulf Coast sun…one in particular. But while paying the price, literally, for the last man she trusted with her heart, she’s not interested in any sort of beach romance, or so she keeps reminding herself.

Living in the idyllic coastal paradise of the 30A area hasn’t eased Blake Evans’ guilt over what went down three years ago. He can’t stop blaming himself, and certainly none of his wonderful friends can ever find out what happened. Blake’s done a good job of keeping romantic feelings toward any women at bay, and he needs to keep it that way. But when Seanna begins to show him how to live again, he finds himself struggling to keep his guard up. 

Seaside Sweets is book one in the Love Along Highway 30A series, which features beautiful beach communities, a circle of unique and amazing friends, and romances that will have you cheering on the couples and fanning yourself from the heat. All books are standalone and can be enjoyed in or out of order.

Seaside Sweets is the first book in the Love Along Hwy 30 series by Melissa Chambers. I love being able to review books by Tennessee Authors, and I love it even more when I love the book. Wow. I've said 'love' a lot. I'll stop now. But, it's true. This was a cute, fun story, and I enjoyed every minute reading it. Seanna and Blake both have their own baggage, and they're both running away from it, literally and figuratively. Who wouldn't want to run away to the Florida beaches if they could?

I enjoyed watching them work through their issues, both apart and together. Their story was well told, and the setting was beautiful. It was a perfect, fictional, beachy escape! I'm definitely looking forward to more in this series!

The ARC of Seaside Sweets by Melissa Chambers was kindly provided to me by the author for review. The opinions are my own.

An M83 song came over the speakers, electronic dance music’s answer to the slow dance. She tilted her head to the side, lifting an eyebrow. “After that Chicken Dance, you got this one in the bag.”

He huffed a laugh, trying to hold back his grin, but not doing a good job of it. She hadn’t seen him smile this much the whole time she knew him. He pulled her to him, resting his hands on her hips. She eased her hands up to his shoulders, her stomach alive with a nervous flutter. She had always been fairly confident around men. It had been the rare bird who could put her insides into a tizzy. But there was something about Blake’s quiet cool, the fact that he seemed to listen when she talked and actually care about what she said. He wasn’t one of those straight guys where she felt she had a good thirty seconds then needed to wrap it up.

But more than anything, it was the way he looked at her—his blue eyes boring into hers like he knew her…like he was curious about her. And she wanted to know more about him—anything he’d be willing to share. He lifted his chin, seeming ten feet tall so close to her, sending her heartbeat up a step. She looked away, breaking under his gaze.

She leaned into his chest, as he pulled her there. She wasn’t sure who had made the move—maybe both of them at the same time. She breathed in the scent of his skin and lifted her chin to get a good whiff of his neck. The subtlest hint of his body wash lingered, causing her to close her eyes and drink him in.

Her hands wanted to wander down Blake’s back toward his ass—his perfectly proportioned, round ass. Tonight, it was covered by his blazer, but Halloween costume material was thin and cheap. If she could get her hands down there tonight, she could get a good squeeze in. He pulled back from her. “What are you smiling about?”

Hello readers of What's Beyond Forks! I’m Melissa Chambers, and I’m here to celebrate the release of Seaside Sweets, Book One in the Love Along Hwy 30A series set in the quaint and unique beach communities of South Walton, Florida positioned along the famous Hwy 30A!

Have you packed your beach bag yet? If not, don't forget these items to help enhance your sandy experience!

1 - Beach towel clips
Have you seen these? You clip them to your chaise lounge, inserting your towel, and then your towel doesn't fly away or sag down in the chair! They have them in the shape of flip flops, turtles, and my favorite, Hello Kitty holding a surfboard! I found these at Walmart.

2 - Insulated cups
These Swig tumblers claim to keep your drink cold for up to 24 hours! I've not tried one yet, but I've got a birthday coming up and a beach trip planned soon after that. Pretty sure what I'm asking for.

3 - Wide Brim hat
I always wear a wide brim hat to the beach so I don't have to worry about putting sunscreen on my face, at least anywhere near my eyes. Getting sunscreen in your eyes at the beach when your hands are sandy is the worst! Since I jumped into the lake with my wide brim hat on last year, I need a new one! I think I'll get this one from J Crew.

4. 30A T-shirt
I have more 30A T-shirts than I should probably admit to, but as I perused this website for research for this post, I discovered that I think I need another one! You can find more 30A gear here than you can shake a surfboard at, but for your classic 30A T-shirt, necessary for any beach-lover, click here.

5. Seaside Sweets!
Any lazy beach day begs for a good beachy novel to sink into. Seaside Sweets is available now! Take a peek at the cover, blurb, and an excerpt below! 

♥ Melissa

Also available in the series now!

Maya Forbes has never had a one-night-stand. With her irresponsible but brilliant sister filling the role of flighty one, Maya must live sensibly and dutifully. But when she meets a gorgeous redneck from Panama City Beach who makes her head whirl, she must quit thinking idiotic thoughts about upending her life after one week of mind-altering sex, especially with her dream promotion waiting for her back home.

Bo Harrison has lived his entire life in a tourist town where the women he meets are typically gone in a week. After a long-term relationship that left him mentally drained, he didn’t mind the easy, week-long romances for a while. But watching his best friend fall in love has him thinking along those lines, especially when he meets a woman unlike any he’s ever dated—smart, sexy, independent. The catch? She leaves in one week, of course.

With Shayla Harrison’s dangerous ex leaving rehab and headed her way, she needs to find a safe house and fast. When tall, dark, and ridiculously handsome Chase O’Neil offers a secure place to stay in beautiful Seagrove Beach for dirt cheap, she and her wallet can’t refuse. Romance is the last thing she wants, but the safety and warmth she feels with Chase are impossible to ignore.

Chase is the life of the party. He makes everyone laugh—whatever it takes to hide a soul-deep pain he can't fix. He’s been living in romance purgatory since his son died and his marriage ended six years ago. When he meets the mysterious and intriguing Shayla, the emotional wall he’s worked so hard to build starts to crumble. She makes him want all the things he knows he can’t have, including her love.

Melissa Chambers writes contemporary novels for young, new, and actual adults. A Nashville native, she spends her days working in the music industry and her nights tapping away at her keyboard. While she’s slightly obsessed with alt rock, she leaves the guitar playing to her husband and kid. She never misses a chance to play a tennis match, listen to an audiobook, or eat a bowl of ice cream. (Rocky road, please!) She serves as president for the Music City Romance Writers and is the author of The Summer Before Forever and Falling for Forever (Entangled Teen).

To learn more about Melissa Chambers and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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A Book Review of Burning Bright by Chris Cannon, Plus Guest Post

Burning Bright (Going Down in Flames #5) by Chris Cannon
Genre: Young Adult (Fantasy Romance)
Expected publication: June 4, 2018
Publisher: Entangled Teen

Bryn is back for her senior year at the Institute for Excellence, also known as shape-shifting dragon school. She isn’t sure which is scarier, the life-force sucking dragons stalking campus or the fact that she’s officially betrothed to Jaxon, a guy who will never love her. Not that she could ever love him, either… That’s just ridiculous.

Senior year should be fun. Her parents are alive, she’s finally fitting in, and she’s learning how to be a Medic. But what’s with Jaxon giving her strange looks? He runs hot and cold, and he doesn’t even have the excuse of being a hybrid fire-and-ice-breathing dragon like her. One minute they’re having a great time and the next, she wants to blast a fireball at his head. The marriage contract of doom looms over them--unless this match not made in heaven kindles a flame… 

Burning Bright is the fifth book in the Going Down in Flames series by Chris Cannon. Even though it's been over a year since I read the last book, the author does a wonderful job bringing you up to speed and reminding you of whats happened without repetition. This is a gift, my friends. Still, this is a series you must read in order. So much has happened to these characters. They've grown and come such a long way. Bryn is simply amazing. Her sarcasm and whit is spot on, especially when it's aimed at Jaxon. I just love her. Jaxon? That guy is something else too. And, it's funny because, well, you know if you've read my other reviews... I've been a Jaxon fan from the start, but I got to know him even more within this book. He has many sides to him, and he's not too different from Bryn in a lot of ways. I guess I sort of realized that before, but it really hit me in this book. I really can't say more about how fantastic this story was without spoilers. You need to experience it for yourself.

This is the final book in this series. Please say it isn't so! Although this book wrapped everything up nicely, I'm definitely not ready for it to end! I have to say, I loved everything about this book and this series as a whole. I could happily live in this world. As a dragon, of course. ;-)

The ARC of Burning Bright by Chris Cannon was kindly provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley for review. The opinions are my own.

“I think we are at the no-news-is-good-news stage,” Jaxon said.

“That works for me.” Bryn said. “I’m hoping my chaos magnet days are over. I’d love an uneventful holiday season.” “The Christmas Ball should be safer this year. Your grandfather has hired extra guards and installed more surveillance cameras around the estate.” “That’s comforting, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to relax and believe an event is safe.”

“I feel compelled to point out that the common denominator among all the recent chaos has been you.”

“And you get to spend the rest of your life with me,” Bryn shot back. “You lucky duck.”

“I can barely contain my joy.”

They drove back to the Institute for Excellence trading comments and laughing. It was nice. On the way to her room, he said, “Do you still have the present I asked you to keep for me?”

Way to put a damper on the day. “I do.” Where is he going with this?
“Can I have it back?” he asked.

“Of course.” She unlocked her door, letting him into the living room and then went to retrieve the bracelet from underneath her sweaters. Should she admit she’d looked at it? No.

Jaxon accepted the box from her and held it in his palm like he was testing its weight. “I finally figured out what I should do with it.” He slid it into his coat pocket and then said, “I almost forgot.” He pulled a small white cardboard box from his pocket and handed it to her.

“What’s this?” She opened the box and looked inside to find brownies dotted with green Christmas tree-shaped sprinkles.

“I stopped in a bakery to order something for my mother, and I saw those.”

That was oddly thoughtful of him.

“I know normal girls wouldn’t want to eat brownies after baking cookies all day, but I figured that didn’t apply to you.”

“It’s not like I can argue that statement, so thank you.”

“Good night, Bryn.”

“Good night.” She locked the door behind him before taking a bite of brownie. It was chocolatey fudgey heaven. A small voice in her head whispered that he must actually care about her. The smarter part of her brain said to shut up and enjoy the brownie. No reason to read anything even remotely romantic into the nice gesture.

Bryn stopped mid chew. Wait. What? Did she just think of romance and Jaxon in the same sentence? Sure, he was funny, and smart, and handsome when he wasn’t being an asshat, but that didn’t mean there would ever be any real feelings between them. Right? 

My Take on Dragons.

I created a dragon mythology which was cut from the first book in the series. I don’t think I ever thought to insert it into the rest of the series. So here’s my take on dragons. Dragons were the Earths first children. She created them from the five elements: earth, water, air, fire and quintessence. Man came along after dragons. Jealous, of their mother’s new creations, some dragons sought to bend man to their will, using their superior power to rule over humans. Upset by this sibling rivalry, Mother Earth bound dragons and humans together. Dragons are born in human form. They exist as humans until their sixteenth birthday when they come into their power. This gestation period bonds dragons to humans and allows them to co-exist.

Check out my review of the other books in this series!

Chris Cannon is the award-winning author of the Going Down In Flames series and the Boyfriend Chronicles. She lives in Southern Illinois with her husband and several furry beasts. She believes coffee is the Elixir of Life. Most evenings after work, you can find her sucking down caffeine and writing fire-breathing paranormal adventures or romantic comedies. 

To learn more about Chris Cannon and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Twitter.

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