Book Review: Jesse's Girl by Stephanie Taylor

Jesse's Girl by Stephanie Taylor
Genre: Adult Fiction (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: December 19, 2013
Publisher: Astraea Press

Ally Roche has loved only one man her entire life, her childhood best friend turned lover. But when she turned down his proposal one summer before he went back to college, he disappeared from her life, leaving her empty and alone.

Detective Jesse Richards is back in town and avoiding Ally like the plague…until she walks into the station and reports a murder and then promptly faints at his feet. Faced with the knowledge the killer knows who she is, Jesse has no choice but to protect the woman he’s always loved.

And maybe, just maybe, he can protect his heart as well.

Jesse's Girl by Stephanie Taylor was a quick and entertaining read. The characters were easy to like. I don't know why either character let so much time go before talking to each other. I would think someone would have reached out to the other, especially with how strong their love seemed to be, but I guess they were both just too stubborn. With all the build up, I expected a bigger resolution event surrounding the murders. It seemed too easy. I kept expecting the real killer to hop out. There were a few inconsistencies with things that happened or were said through the plot, but I still found the story enjoyable.

Jesse's Girl by Stephanie Taylor was kindly provided to me by the publisher for review. The opinions are my own.

The bell over the door to the police office jangled as a woman walked in. She wore skinny jeans and knee-high boots with a peasant top – without a jacket. It had to be at least twenty degrees outside. Her hair — milk chocolate — hung in curls in a messy updo. Jesse’s heart skipped a beat. The sun shining from behind the woman made it impossible to see her face.
Could it be?
He stood, unable to handle the suspense.
As he rounded his desk, the door closed behind her and the office turned darker. Breath whooshed from his lungs as he laid eyes on the woman he’d never been able to exorcise from his head. The girl who’d rejected him. The friend who’d loved him and then thrown him away.
“Ally?” he whispered, unsure if she was real or just a dream. She had to be real. He couldn’t have imagined those curves on her.
“I need…” Her face was a sickly gray, and she seemed to see straight through him. “I need to report a murder.”
With that, she collapsed against him.

Stephanie Taylor wrote and illustrated her first novel, The Bear Who Ate Christmas, at the tender age of six: several notebook pages stapled together to open like a "real book" (it's still in the attic, by the way, just in case you were curious). Over twenty years later, she lives in Alabama with her husband and is a mommy of three by day and a writer by night. She has a doctorate in Multitasking and can actually walk a trapeze while preparing dinner with one hand and typing her next novel with the other. Well, no not really, but close.

To learn more about Stephanie Taylor and her books, visit her on Facebook.

Book Review: One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean

One Good Earl Deserves a Lover (The Rules of Scoundrels #2) by Sarah MacLean
Genre: Adult Fiction (Historical Romance)
Date Published: January 29, 2013
Publisher: Self

The second in the incredible new Rules of Scoundrels series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean. 

Lady Philippa Marbury is odd. The bespectacled, brilliant fourth daughter of the Marquess of Needham and Dolby cares more for books than balls, flora than fashion and science than the season. Nearly engaged to Lord Castleton, Pippa wants to explore the scandalous parts of London she's never seen before marriage. And she knows just who to ask: the tall, charming, quick-witted bookkeeper of The Fallen Angel, London's most notorious and coveted gaming hell, known only as Cross. 

Like any good scientist, Pippa's done her research and Cross's reputation makes him perfect for her scheme. She wants science without emotion—the experience of ruination without the repercussions of ruination. And who better to provide her with the experience than this legendary man? But when this odd, unexpected female propositions Cross, it's more than tempting . . . and it will take everything he has to resist following his instincts—and giving the lady precisely what she wants.

One Good Earl Deserves a Lover is the second book in The Rules of Scoundrels series by Sarah MacLean. I've read the series out of order(Yes, I know.. I've broken one of my rules..lol), so this is actually the third book I've read in the series, but I think this is my favorite so far. Pippa is so much fun! I love how her mind works and how she speaks. She says whatever pops into her head. Cross is perfect for her. They're perfect for each other. They are both little smarty pants. The guys in this series have all been extremely swoon-worthy. They call themselves scoundrels, and they really believe they are, but they are such gentlemen too. Naughty gentlemen, yes, but gentlemen none the less. Cross is no exception. His charm and swagger oozes from the pages. Sarah MacClean has romance down to an art. If a scene is written in such a way as to have its reader all in a tizzy when the characters haven't even touched each other... That, my friends, is a gifted writer!

“To be honest, I thought it was similar to animal husbandry."

Sally's tone turned dry. "Sometimes, my lady I'm afraid it isn't that different."

Pippa paused, considering the ords. "Is that so?"

"Men are uncomplicated, generally," Sally said, all too sage. "They're beasts when they want to be."

"Brute ones!"

"Ah, so you understand."

Pippa tilted her head to one side. "I've read about them."

Sally nodded. "Erotic texts?"

"The book of Common Prayer....” 

Check out my reviews of more books by this author!

Sarah MacLean grew up in Rhode Island, obsessed with historical romance and bemoaning the fact that she was born far too late for her own season. Her love of all things historical helped to earn her degrees from Smith College and Harvard University before she finally set pen to paper and wrote her first book.

Sarah now lives in New York City with her husband, their dog, and a ridiculously large collection of romance novels. She loves to hear from readers.

To learn more about Sarah MacLean and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

Release Week! Stone of Destiny by Laura Howard

Stone of Destiny (The Danaan Trilogy #2) by Laura Howard
Genre: New Adult (Paranormal/Fantasy Romance)

Date Published: April 22, 2014
Publisher: Self

Allison thought it was crazy enough when she found out her father, Liam, wasn't entirely human. But now she has to join his magical allies to unravel his former mistress's plans. Aoife wants to keep Allison's parents apart forever.

Despite Allison's efforts to keep Ethan, the only guy she's ever cared about, out of this supernatural mess, fate keeps throwing him back into the mix.

Will Allison be able to find the amulet that holds the enchantment Aoife placed on Liam and destroy it? Are Ethan' s feelings for Allison strong enough to endure the magic of the Tuatha De Danaan?

 Check out my review of The Forgotten Ones!!

Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.

To learn more about Laura Howard and her books, visit her blog.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

Promo Blitz: To Catch A Spinster by Megan Bryce

To Catch A Spinster (The Reluctant Bride Collection, #1) by Megan Bryce 
Genre: Adult Fiction (Historical Romance)
Date Published: June 13,2012
Publisher: Self

Come back to a time when manners are everything and rules are made to never be broken. Come back to a time when men are in charge and women do what they are told...

Yeah, that never happened.

Welcome to Megan Bryce's Regencyland, where ladies with backbone get what they want. Where a woman can thumb her nose at rules and care little for convention, and yet somehow, unexpectedly and most reluctantly, find love.

To Catch A Spinster 

Olivia Blakesley, self-proclaimed spinster extraordinaire, is quite happy with her life. She has her studies and her duties, what need does she have of a husband? With five sisters married she knows the reality does not live up to the promise, and does not need to personally experiment with the state to know she would be ill-suited to it. However, she finds herself envious of at least one aspect of marriage. But to experience the physical side of marriage, one doesn't need a husband, all one needs is the right man...

Nathaniel Jenkins knows his duty. Marry a young girl from a respectable family and father an heir, no matter how cold the endless parade of suitable girls leaves him. But a shocking proposal from a scholarly spinster leaves him wondering if unsuitable is just what he's looking for. Can he convince his spinster that marriage is the greatest experiment of all?

Miss Olivia Blakesley watched as her youngest sister was married and thought, “That does it, old girl. You are officially on the shelf.”

Truthfully, she wasn’t quite yet. But at the ripe old age of seven and twenty, with two older sisters and three younger sisters all married, she was close enough. What man would want the sister who had been left behind? More importantly, why would she want the man who would want her?

She wouldn’t. So it was a good thing she had her studies and responsibilities. She was fairly certain she would have gone stark raving mad these last eight years waiting for a suitor who would never come if she hadn’t started studying the stars or helping her father with the accounts. Not exactly respectable activities for a gentle young woman, but she enjoyed them.

Her mother blamed those activities for her current matrimonial-less state. What woman would rather sneak outside to paint stars than flirt with a beau? What woman who was at least pretending she wanted to get married would wear those high-necked, front-buttoned, somber-colored old maid rags?

Olivia handed her mother, who sat sniffling in the pew beside her, a clean handkerchief.

 “Thank you, Olivia. I can always count on your handkerchief to be dry at weddings, can’t I? I don’t understand how you can be so emotionless.”

 “I’m not emotionless, and you should be grateful as you now have two handkerchiefs to drench.”

Olivia’s father winked at her as he patted his wife’s hand. “It’s not as if this wedding was a surprise, my dear.”

No, Eugenia had been promising that she would be snatched up the quickest since Prudence had taken nearly two years in the marriage mart. Eugenia had lasted a mere two months. The Blakesley sisters were nothing if not goal-oriented.

Olivia had her own goals and, unfortunately for her mother, they did not include catching a husband. Even so, she did not want to die inexperienced in love, estranged from her sisters because they knew something she didn’t.

 Lust.

She did not want to die a virgin spinster aunt, caring for her aging parents.

It would be much better if she could die an experienced spinster aunt, caring for her aging parents.

She glanced at the cross hanging above the vicar’s head. Dear Lord, what was she considering? Was she really thinking of. . .

No. It was a sin. And she was in a church, for heaven’s sake.

But as her father was wont to say: In the course of life, some commandments must be broken. For emergencies. For science.

Thou shalt not kill. Definitely one to be broken in an emergency.

Thou shalt not worship any graven images. A few might say that Olivia worshiped her Dutch-made telescope. For science, of course.

Honor thy father and mother. She had never been any good at that one.

Thou shalt not commit adultery. . .
Well, she just wouldn’t choose a married man. This was, after all, a scientific emergency.

She was not going to die an old maid.

 Olivia looked back at the altar. Her beautiful sister in her lace-trimmed ivory satin wedding gown beamed at her new husband, who looked down at her with obvious love and a little bit of panic. Olivia would never have that. She would never fall in love. Never have someone to depend on– only herself.

She nodded. So be it. If she could not have everything, she would have something. If she could not have love, she would have lust. She would find someone to teach her desire.

Amen.

Megan Bryce sits in front of a computer all day making up stories for a living. Which means she is not nearly as interesting (as well as tall, svelte, and/or dressed) as her characters. She gets bored quickly and just can't be bothered with anyone in her head who doesn't make her laugh-- which translates into fun books, outrageous situations, and witty characters who will leave you laughing and gasping for more.

To learn more about Megan Bryce and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads.

Blog Tour!! Part 2: A Review of Final Stand by Rose Garcia

Final Stand (The Transhuman Chronicles #2) by Rose Garcia
Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal Romance)
Date Published: March 24, 2014
Publisher: FML Books

Dominique is still alive after killing Tavion, the Tainted who's hunted her for lifetimes. Yet her protectors still fear for her life. They force her to flee Houston and abandon the friends she loves. But they can't protect her from herself. When Dominique starts hearing Tavion's voice in her head, she realizes that her personal connection to the Tainted still exists. And when her car is ambushed, she discovers another frightening truth—someone close to her is a traitor.

Desperate for answers, Dominique seeks the aid of first lifers Trent and Infiniti. With their help, she hopes to find her new enemy. But things get complicated with Trent because of her emotional pull toward Farrell, and even more complicated when the whispers in her head threaten her loved ones. Determined to live, Dominique decides to make a final stand against the forces that want to end her. For good.

Final Stand is the second book in the Transhuman Chronicles by Rose Garcia. Everything I wanted to know in the first book, I found out in this one. I was pretty excited about that, plus the action just kept happening. Final Stand kept my attention completely with so many twists and changes... I couldn't read fast enough. Dominique doesn't know who to trust, and I didn't either. I kept trying to guess, but I was wrong each time. I'm not sure about the romance. Dominique seems to decide on a guy, but she still seems indifferent to me, so I'm not sure about the romance yet. I'm not feeling the sparks. I kind of think maybe we're not supposed to just yet. We'll see. When I saw the title for this book, I thought the story would end with this book, but this ending leads me to believe it's not over yet. There is so much more waiting to happen, and I'm excited for more!

Final Stand by Rose Garcia was kindly provided to me by Good Choice Reading Blog Tours for review. The opinions are my own.

“Dominique, can you hear me?”

My body slept. Yet the voice calling out to me rang so clear in my head I could’ve sworn I was awake. A dream, it had to be a dream.

“Dominique, I’m here,” the hoarse voice said again, this time urgent and prodding.

My heavy eyelids refused to open, as if weighted down by bricks and glued shut. Even the muscles in my body ignored my commands to move, get up, and find the voice calling me.

“You know who I am,” the scratchy voice said again, louder this time.

My sleeping body tensed from a zap of fear. Yes, I knew. The voice belonged to Tavion.

I’d recognize it anywhere. And it came from within me.

An army of goose bumps dashed across my body. Wake up, I screamed to myself. Now!

“Waking won’t help you, Marked One.”

Click here to read the first 2 chapters!!

Check out my review of the first book in this series!

Rose Garcia is a lawyer turned writer who’s always been fascinated by science fiction and fantasy. From a very young age, she often had her nose buried in books about other-worlds, fantastical creatures, and life and death situations. More recently she’s been intrigued by a blend of science fiction and reality, and the idea that some supernatural events are, indeed, very real. Fueled by her imagination, she created The Transhuman Chronicles—a series of book about people who have overcome human limitations. Rose lives in Houston, Texas with her awesome husband and two amazing kids.

To learn more about Rose Garcia and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

PLEASE READ THE TERMS & CONDITIONS FOUND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RAFFLECOPTER. ALL INTERNATIONAL READERS WILL AUTOMATICALLY WIN AN eBOOK copy of Final Life and/or a $25 Amazon/B&N Gift Card.
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Blog Tour!! Part 1: A Review of Final Life by Rose Garcia

Final Life (The Transhuman Chronicles #1) by Rose Garcia
Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal Romance)
Date Published: January 8, 2014
Publisher: FML Books

For Dominique Wells, nothing sucks more than being forced to move cross country during senior year. Angry and feeling alone, she thinks things can't get any worse until her new neighbor pressures her into playing a psychic card game. When she touches the cards, she has a vision of a red desert where an evil presence hints at past lives and threatens to kill her. 

Dominique tries to forget the experience, but the vision follows her, intensifying with each repetition. Plagued by fear and foreboding, she’s determined to figure out what’s happening to her. But she gets distracted when her parents invite a mysterious and gorgeous new student to stay with them and the hot guy from school starts pursuing her. If Dominique is to have a future with either one, she must solve the mystery of her past and put an end to the evil that's hunting her. If she doesn't, she'll be dead. For real.

Final Life is the first book in the Transhuman Chronicles by Rose Garcia. I felt a lot like Dominique through most of the story. She didn't know why she was being hunted by Tavion. Neither did I. She didn't know why she'd failed to beat him in the previous 8 lives, and I never figured that part out either. What was Tavion getting out of it all? Dominique didn't know, and he never told her when she asked. She has no powers that are known yet, so what makes her special? Why is she The Marked One? Everyone around Dominique has information except her. As a reader, I felt like I was let in on very little of this information. This was frustrating. I wanted to know more about what she was supposed to be fighting for.

There may be a love triangle building, although I'm already partial to Farrell. I wish Dominique wouldn't have pulled away from him so much. It seemed to me like she wasn't giving him a chance. Trent seems okay too, but something doesn't feel right about him. I don't think he's bad or anything or maybe he is. I don't know. I'm just not totally sold on him yet.

Final Life by Rose Garcia was kindly provided to me by Good Choice Reading Blog Tours for review. The opinions are my own.

Click here to read the first 2 chapters!!

Check out my review of the next book in this series!

Rose Garcia is a lawyer turned writer who’s always been fascinated by science fiction and fantasy. From a very young age, she often had her nose buried in books about other-worlds, fantastical creatures, and life and death situations. More recently she’s been intrigued by a blend of science fiction and reality, and the idea that some supernatural events are, indeed, very real. Fueled by her imagination, she created The Transhuman Chronicles—a series of book about people who have overcome human limitations. Rose lives in Houston, Texas with her awesome husband and two amazing kids.

To learn more about Rose Garcia and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

PLEASE READ THE TERMS & CONDITIONS FOUND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RAFFLECOPTER. ALL INTERNATIONAL READERS WILL AUTOMATICALLY WIN AN eBOOK copy of Final Life and/or a $25 Amazon/B&N Gift Card.
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Tour! A Review of Getting By by Claudia Y. Burgoa, Plus a Top 10!

Getting by (A Knight's Tale #1) by Claudia Y. Burgoa
Genre: New Adult (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: February 18, 2014
Publisher: Literally Alpaca Illustrations, LLC

When Emma Anderson arrived at San Francisco International Airport, she regretted accepting the distinction of being the maid of honor to Gaby’s—her childhood friend—wedding. It had been years since the last time she set foot in Menlo Park, where her parents had been killed. The rug where she had been shoving her feelings since that day looked bumpier than a camel’s hump. Who could blame her; if she hadn’t been selfish they’d still be around. Ever since that fateful day, Emma has been perfecting the knack of Getting By.

Cade’s wedding in Menlo Park—a city close to San Francisco—might be the perfect place for Jake Knight to shake the memories of his ex, Emma Anderson for good. Single, available women galore for an entire week was the perfect medication, one he intended to take three times a day for an entire week to return to his player days. It was a plan the former spy thought flawless until he came face to face with the maid of honor. Jake’s perfect retreat turns into a flight, fight or hide week of celebrations.

Getting by is the first book in the A Knight's Tale series by Claudia Y. Bugoa. This was a cute romance about to people with heaps of baggage trying to find their way. Like Jake, I was confused as to why Emma broke up with him too, but it comes out as the story progresses. It was pretty clear how much Emma and Jake cared for each other from fairly early on, but they let their pasts and stubbornness get in the way instead of really talking it out. Even after I finished reading it, I still feel like they needed to have more conversations on a deeper level. I'm not sure that everything has been resolved yet, but this is a series, so, there's more to come. At times, I had a hard time knowing who was talking when there were multiple people on the scene. Through process of elimination, I could usually figure it out, but sometimes it took a minute. I love the Knight family! I don't have siblings, but I would love to have brothers like them! I love the closeness they have and how they tease and taunt each other. It's adorable. Their interactions were my favorite parts of this book.

Getting By by Claudia Y. Burgoa was kindly provided to me by Xpresso Book Tours for review. The opinions are my own.

"Top 10 songs to write to"

Carmina Burana

Paris ~ Magic Man

Shiver ~ Cold Play

Midnight City ~ M83

17 Crimes ~ AFI

Remember My Name ~ Two Door Cinema Club

Next Year ~ Two Door Cinema Club

Substitution ~ Silversun Pickups

Wonderwall ~ Oasis

Drops of Jupiter ~ Train  (making me cry since 2001; best song for tragic sad scenes)

Check out my reviews of a couple other books by Claudia Y. Burgoa!

Claudia lives in Colorado with her family and three dogs. Two beagles who believe they are human, and a bichon who thinks she’s a beagle. While managing life, she works as a CFO at a small IT Company. She’s a dreamer who enjoys music, laughter and a good story.
To learn more about Claudia Y. Burgoa and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

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