It’s time for this week’s blog tour!

This blog tour is being hosted by Xpresso Book Tours and as always I would just like to say how thankful I am to have this opportunity to be host. Follow the rest of the tour here.

If you like young adult fantasy books with sassy female protagonists, murder, magic, and so much more then I definitely suggest you check out The Fading Dusk by Melissa Giorgio!

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 The Fading Dusk by Melissa Giorgio
(Smoke and Mirrors, #1)
Publication date: July 19th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

 

In the gritty city of Dusk, seventeen-year-old Irina makes her living as the street magician Bantheir’s assistant. The job isn’t glamorous, but she loves the crowds, the shows, and most of all, the illusion of magic. But Irina’s world is shattered the night she is arrested and charged as Bantheir’s accomplice to murder—murder by magic.

Real magic, the kind that’s been forbidden since the old wars.

Irina finds the idea of flashy showman Bantheir using actual magic to kill someone laughable, but she’s the only one who sees how ridiculous the claim is. But how can she convince everyone Bantheir is innocent when they’ve already made up their minds? Desperate, Irina must decide who she can trust to help her win her freedom. Is the surly, handsome Captain Leonid telling the truth when he says he believes Irina is innocent, or is he just using her to get to Bantheir?

What about Aden, the sweet soldier and longtime fan of Irina’s who claims he’s on her side?

Irina said she wanted to know the truth, but when she stumbles across a dark secret that changes everything, will she be strong enough to survive?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25954617-the-fading-dusk

Purchase:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0125KV45W/ref=cm_sw_su_dp
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fading-dusk-melissa-giorgio/1122399040?ean=9781515150589

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Author Spotlight

Melissa Giorgio is a native New Yorker who graduated from Queens College with a degree in English. She’s always dreamed of being a writer and has been creating stories (mostly in her head) since she was a little girl. Also an avid reader, Melissa loves to devour thick YA novels. When not reading or writing, she enjoys watching animated films, listening to music by her favorite Japanese boy band, or exploring Manhattan. She is also the author of the Silver Moon Saga.

Author links:

Home

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7133276.Melissa_Giorgio
https://www.facebook.com/melissagiorgiofan
https://twitter.com/melissa_giorgio

Giveaway

Tour Wide Giveaway:

One signed paperback of THE FADING DUSK and one signed paperback of THE SIGHT SEER

Enter into the giveaway by clicking below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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 Review

What if you were told that the person you trust the most, the person who raised you after your mother died, is a cold blooded killer? Would you believe the person who told this horrible thing or would you deny it profusely vowing to prove their innocence to the authorities who believe they are guilty and will strike again?  This is the predicament that Irina finds herself in when she is detained and then imprisonedby the authorities who believe that her master, Bantheir, the street magician is murdering people. Things don’t look very good for her especially when a surly and very serious captain Leonid believes she may have some part in the murders leading them to butt heads with one another. It can be very hard to turn your back on the person you trust the most but Irina soon learns that her allies become the very people that imprisoned as the truth is revealed even though she does not like what she learns.

The characters are definitely an aspect of this novel that I liked because they each had their own personas that were not entirely set in stone and what I mean by that is you believed a character to be one thing and then later on you learn that they are something entirely different. This was refreshing because it added an element of surprise while I was reading and definitely kept me on my toes a little bit. Irina is a spitfire, which is fitting because of her fiery red hair, but from the moment she is captured, detained, and then later imprisoned she holds her ground and her convictions that they have the wrong man that their is no way Bantheir could have killed all those people. Despite being absolutely terrified of the captain and their methods of trying to get her to talk in the beginning, she still goes head to head with Captain Leonid which was very entertaining as it allowed for their relationship with one another develop. I think the only aspect of Irina that annoyed me a little bit was her insecurity towards her appearance and how she compared herself to other girls like Elyse and Coreen commenting on how her curly red hair and pale skin made her look awful in comparison to them. My only wish is that she was confident enough about those things that she didn’t need to be told she was remarkably beautiful by someone like Leonid later on in the story.

Irina and Leonid’s relationship was another aspect of the novel that I very much enjoyed because of how it progressed. There is just something so amusing and intriguing when a relationship between two people starts at a place where both individuals feel absolute animosity for one another and therefore bicker and butt heads any chance they get. When Irina and the reader first meet Leonid you think he is this stingy, by the book captain who doesn’t care how Irina is feeling when she is first brought in because he only wants to find out where Bantheir is so he can stop the killings. But as the story progresses you find out his true motives for wanting to find the killer and see him slowly start to care for Irina as the investigation reaches its climax. My assumptions for who Leonid was as a person changed and I couldn’t help but root for them throughout the rest of the story even if they did continue to get on each other’s nerves sometimes.

In addition to Irina and Leonid, I also loved Vernen, Leonid’s best friend, because he was just so lovable and caring towards Irina even during times of peril when she was frightened she would be imprisoned for the rest of her life per the councilor’s orders (Leonid’s superior). But, the one thing that I really enjoyed and appreciated is when it is revealed that Vernen is gay (spoilers, sorry!) because like I said earlier it was an aspect of his character I did not see coming and therefore I was very surprised. I had him pinned as the funny best friend to Leonid who provides some comic relief and becomes good friends with Irina but revealing that he is gay was just a wonderful addition to his character that made him even more lovable.

Overall, I liked this book. The characters were definitely the driving force for me because, how the story developed in regards to the murders and the magical element that was involved was a little slow for me. You get bits and pieces of it but they are still shrouded in an air of mystery which is good because it keeps you guessing but after a while I just wanted something to happened or be revealed so that that part of the story would move forward a little bit more especially since it is a fantasy novel. Despite that, I think that this novel is engaging, action packed, suspenseful, and very entertaining thanks to Irina and Leonid’s bickering. I am very much interested to see what will happen in the second book of this series.

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Intrigued by what you have read above? Want to experience the bickerings of Irina and Leonid for yourself? Wondering if they will stop the killer in time?

Then why not pick up The Fading Dusk by Melissa Giorgio? You know you want to lol.

And we are back with this week’s blog tour post!

I am so excited to be a part of Seized by Love‘s blog tour because it was so heartwarmingly cute that I could not stop smiling the entire time I was reading it. And… today is the release date for Seized by Love so we can also celebrate the book birthday for this amazing book!

The blog tour for Seized by Love by Melissa Foster is being hosted by Tasty Book Tours and as always I just wanted to say that I am so thankful to be given the opportunity to be a host.

If you want to feel the warm fuzzies and get caught up in a romance that is both so adorable and so genuine, then continue reading below (you won’t regret it!)

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Seized By Love
Love In Bloom #29: The Ryders #1

By: Melissa Foster

Releasing October 28, 2015

World Literary Press

You fell in love with Blue Ryder and Lizzie Barber in Seaside Summers, now follow their journey to find true love in SEIZED BY LOVE, the first book in the Ryder series.

Lizzie Barber runs a successful flower shop by day and secretly hosts the Naked Baker webcast at night to help pay for her younger sister’s education. To keep friends and family from finding out about her sexy secret, she’s put her social life on hold until her sister’s education is paid off and she can stop filming the webcast.

Blue Ryder fell hard for Lizzie Barber when he met her a year ago, and he hasn’t been able to get her off his mind since. Everything about the feisty little brunette, from her tight bod to her seductive smile, cuts straight to his heart. Though Lizzie has turned down every invitation he’s extended—Blue is not about to give up trying.

Renovating Lizzie’s kitchen brings Blue further into Lizzie’s life, and the oven is not the only thing heating up. One night and one powerful kiss changes everything. But when Lizzie’s secret is revealed and the safe bubble she’s hidden in shatters, true love may not be enough to put the pieces back together.

THE RYDERS are the newest addition to the LOVE IN BLOOM series by New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Melissa Foster. This 5-book hot contemporary romance series features alpha male heroes and sexy, empowered women. They’re flawed, funny, passionate, and relatable to readers who enjoy new adult romance, contemporary romance, and women’s fiction.

Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/09/seized-by-love-love-in-bloom-ryders-1.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23123675-seized-by-love
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/111661-love-in-bloom

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

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Author Spotlight

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes contemporary romance, new adult, contemporary women’s fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café and Fostering Success. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.

Melissa hosts an Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.

Visit Melissa on social media. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.

 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway
Melissa will be hosting a Tour Wide Giveaway for two winners to receive an ebook backlist romance (Winner’s Choice)

Click below to enter into the giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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This is the first book by Melissa Foster that I have ever read, which influenced my feelings a little when I was reading Seized by Love because it is part of this expansive series of hers, Love in Bloom, which has these mini-series within in it and that was a little daunting at first. But, all I can say is that I have the first book in this series, Sisters in Love, and I will definitely be reading that ASAP because I could not get enough of the world that was depicted in Seized by Love and if the characters in the other books in this series are just as amazing as the characters in this book then I can’t wait for more emotionally charged and overall epic romances.

While Lizzie and Blue’s romance was so engrossing and adorable and basically everything I would want when I find the person who I am meant to spend the rest of my life with, the setting of the book and how it took place on Cape Cod really hit home for me and heightened all my feelings and emotions up a notch. Cape Cod holds a special place in Lizzie’s heart because she grew up there and always wanted to open up her flower shop in Provincetown, or P-Town, and it also holds a special place in my heart because coincidentally my family is from Brewster and I have been spending my summers there since I was a baby. This connection just made my experience of reading this book so much more because I could completely picture what was going on and therefore invested so much into Lizzie and Blue relationship as they finally realize their feelings for each other after a year of knowing each other and decide to go for it.

Lizzie Barber could easily be compared to Wonder Woman because she does so much with her business at her flower shop and then with her second business, the webcast The Naked Baker, and then in between she has time to bring the left over flowers from her shop to unattended graves at the cemetery as well as drops off the treats she makes to the local homeless shelter. She is selfless, kind, unbelievably determined, and fiercely loyal to her family especially her sister Maddy whom she is supporting financially as she attends college. I was in awe of how much strength and generosity Lizzie had because it made her so personable and I admired her so much for what she was doing especially with her webcast since it was not something she wanted to continue doing but she did it anyway because of her sister. She very much inspires you through the work she does because regardless of how she feels about continuing to film her webcast she approaches it from a business standpoint and uses her knowledge to turn it into a profit that will help her sister. Intelligence, generosity, loyalty, and determination are all qualities that Lizzie embodies and it was such a joy to see them come to life throughout the book.

I can pretty much sum up Blue Ryder with one word: perfection. Now it may be bold to use that word but honestly he is perfection. The more I read, the more I thought “Could he get anymore perfect?” and the answer time after time was yes. While I am not completely sold on his name, Blue as a person, more specifically as a man, could put a lot of the male population to shame. His honesty and the affection he showed toward Lizzie made my heart flutter so many times I lost track. Some of his confessionals to Lizzie were just so sincere and genuine that I almost didn’t really believe him because I didn’t have the previous context that they had known each other already for a year. Once I was able to take that into consideration, the degree of separation I felt from not having read those previous memories between them quickly faded and I fell for Blue as hard as Lizzie did in the book. I dare someone to read this book and try not to fall in love with Blue because it is not possible. Men should take notes because Blue can absolutely show them how it is done.

Obviously not reading any of the previous books in the Love in Bloom series impacted my reading of Seized by Love a little but I honestly think that you are still able to gain enough context that by the middle of the book that does not even matter. The setting, the characters, and the romance which was both adorably heartwarming and wonderfully genuine will pull you in from the very beginning leaving you engrossed in Lizzie and Blue’s relationship as they tackle obstacles that arise overcoming them and discovering how powerful it is when you find the one you are meant to be with. They are seized by their love for one another and I guarantee you will be too as you witness how knowing each other for a year set them up for a love that will last them the rest of their lives.

                                                                                                                                      4/5 stars

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Hope everyone has enjoyed “Blog Tour Central Week” (totally made this up but hey, why not) as much as I have. Today’s blog tour post is the last one for the week but don’t worry there will be more.

Here’s another sports romance only this time it is hockey that takes the center ice. Given my background with hockey because of my brother, I really enjoyed reading Major Misconduct by Kelly Jamieson. And as always, I want to thank Tasty Book Tours for allowing me to be a spot on this blog tour.

If you are a sucker for a sports romance that is cute, funny, and definitely brings the heat (if you catch my drift lol) then stay tuned!!

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Major Misconduct
Aces Hockey #1

By: Kelly Jamieson

Releasing October 13, 2015

Loveswept

In Kelly Jamieson’s seductive new Chicago Aces romance—perfect for readers of Sawyer Bennett and Toni Aleo—a fun-loving free spirit tempts an uptight hockey star into opening himself up to love.

As the captain of the Chicago Aces, Marc Dupuis is all business. The apartment he shares with his teammate and best friend, Duncan, is a refuge from the pressures of fame. But when the sexiest woman he’s ever seen interrupts his early morning coffee wearing only a skimpy cami and matching panties, Marc can’t exactly say he minds. Their chemistry is off the charts. Unfortunately, this girl’s no random puck bunny. She’s Duncan’s little sister—and she’s moving in.

Lovey Armstrong could stare at Marc’s chiseled abs and listen to his French-Canadian accent all day. She just has no idea what’s going on inside his head: When he’s not charming her pants off, Marc makes a Zamboni machine seem warm and cuddly. Lovey knows the team’s bro code says no messing with sisters, but all these mixed messages are hard on a girl’s self-esteem—especially since she’s finally getting her new life together in Chicago. She decides he’s worth another shot . . . because if anyone can melt the ice around Marc’s heart, it’s Lovey.

Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/08/major-misconduct-aces-hockey-1-by-kelly.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25014305-major-misconduct?ac=1
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/148210-aces-hockey

 

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

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Author Spotlight

Kelly Jamieson is the author of more than thirty contemporary romance novels. She’s a married mother of two who lives a very ordinary life outside of her imagination. She likes coffee (black), wine (mostly white), and shoes (high!). She also loves watching hockey.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway
Publisher will be hosting a Tour Wide Giveaway for a Select Loveswept Ebook Bundle

Click the link down below to enter into the giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Ever want to know what it would be like to live with a sexy, French hockey player? Well, if you pick up Major Misconduct you can live vicariously through Lovey, who comes face-to-face with one wearing nothing but a pair of boxers when they first meet (see excerpt). I know it is not the real thing, but I promise you will be very much entertained in this light-hearted, yet definitely still steamy sports romance.

Lovey Armstrong is a ray of sunshine and oozes effervescence throughout the entire book. She is known to have a killer smile and brightness to her, wanting to live life to the fullest and love every second of it. Because of that, you can’t help but smile yourself. Whether she is taking charge of her life by signing up for yoga class or cooking class to meet new people in Chicago or showing off her ambitious side of getting her new business and blog to take off so that her brother will believe she is making something of herself, Lovey is just simply lovable. By the end of the book, I guarantee you will have this new found energy to want to do more in you life based purely off of what Lovey does in order to make a new life for herself in Chicago.

Then, you have Marc Dupuis, the team captain of the Aces hockey team aka one very good looking, French hockey player. While Lovey captured my attention a little bit more, Marc still had his moments especially when you saw how dedicated and driven he was in regards to his career. Nicknamed “Captain Codger” by his teammates for not always partaking in all the fun that comes with the perks of being professional hockey players, Marc takes his role as team captain very seriously which I found to be so admirable and extremely sexy. Oh, and lets not forget the fact that he also runs a program that allows children who are sick to come to an Aces game and have a private meet and greet with him afterwards. Are you swooning yet? Because that definitely made my heart flutter a little bit. And of course, to top it all off he speaks French which just seals the deal in my opinion.

While the characters stole the show for me, especially Lovey and Marc’s romance, I will say that the only issue I had was the writing style. At times it flowed nicely and you were able to get caught up in the story, but at other times it felt very choppy to me which made it difficult to read. Luckily, the characters felt very animated to me so I was able to look past it most of the time but it was definitely an aspect that hindered my reading of the story.

All in all, Major Misconduct is a delightfully cute read that, at times, will leave you inspired to go out and live your life to the fullest as well as wish that you lived with a sexy and determined French hockey player like Marc.

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She’d never begrudged Duncan his success. She was proud of her brother. He’d worked hard his whole life to achieve what he had and he totally deserved it. But there had been times she’d wished she had some kind of super talent that would make everyone proud of her.

“You’re giving me the gears before I’m barely in the door. Not cool, Dunc.”

His lips quirked as if he was repressing another smile. He gestured to one of the brown leather couches. “Sit down.”

She sank into the couch and crossed her legs.

Duncan sat across from her. “You don’t quit a perfectly good job just because it’s not your dream job, Lovey. If you don’t like it, you look around for something else and then you quit.”

“Not if you’re moving to Chicago. I had to quit so I could move here. I’ll find something here, I’m sure.”

Duncan thought she was a flighty, impetuous screwup who’d quit a good job and moved to another state on a whim. And she wasn’t about to set him straight on that, because . . . it was true.

Well, to a certain extent it was true. But she didn’t want to tell him about her goals and dreams because . . . because she wasn’t entirely sure she could do this . . . and she didn’t want him saying “I told you so” if she failed.

She pushed down her misgivings and smiled at him. “I just need a place to stay for a while.”

“You can’t stay here.”

Her mouth dropped open. “What? Why not? You’ve got tons of room! Look at this place.” She sat up straight and swept an arm out. “Fifty billion square feet, probably ten bathrooms . . .”

“Two and a half,” he corrected. “And three bedrooms. And it’s only two thousand square feet. Not fifty billion,” he added in a muttered tone.

“Only two thousand. As if one guy needs that much space.”

“I have a roommate,” he reminded her. “Two of the three bedrooms are occupied and the third has no furniture.”

She frowned and sank back into the couch. “Oh. Well. That doesn’t matter. I’ll just sleep on the floor until we can get me a bed.”

“We’re not getting you a bed.”

“Hey, Army, what time are we heading out?” a deep male voice interrupted them. “Oh. Hey.”

Lovey’s head snapped around at the unfamiliar voice and then her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped.

The guy standing across the room wore a pair of boxer shorts and nothing else. Sweet cheese-its, he was hot. Even more muscular than Duncan, he was about the same height. Short brown hair stood in messy spikes on top, and the same golden-brown stubble lay over his chiseled jaw and upper lip. His lips were thinnish but nicely shaped, his eyes a beautiful sky blue color she could see from here, framed with thick eyelashes.

Her gaze tracked over bulky shoulders and arms, a chest that was slabs of muscle and smooth golden skin, a freakin’ eight-pack of abs that literally made her want to drool, then down over the blue boxer shorts sitting low on lean hips, to his bare legs. She blinked at the size of his thighs and the delineation of the massive muscles bulging above his knees. His calves were also strong, covered with more dark gold hair. His long, sinewy bare feet stood on the bare wood floor.

She lifted her gaze back up to his face and smiled. “Hi.”

He blinked, his expression not changing. “Uh. Hi.” He glanced at Duncan. “Sorry, man, didn’t know you had someone here.” He took a step back.

“Dude, go put some clothes on. This is my little sister.”

The guy’s eyes flickered. “Oh. Shit. Be right back.”

“Wait!” Lovey rose and legged it across the carpet in her heels, hand outstretched. “I’m Lovey. It’s nice to meet you; you must be Duncan’s roommate. Marc, right?”

He took another step back but she kept going. He shoved a hand out, maybe to stop her. She grabbed it to shake it.

“Yeah. Marc.”

The faint inflection in the way he said it was . . . sexy. “You’re French.” Her smile broadened.

“Yeah.” He gave her a quick handshake, then released her hand and took two more steps away. “Marc Dupuis. I’ll, uh, be back.”

He disappeared down the hall and she admired the back view. Whoa. Wide at the shoulders, muscled back, deep grooves down the middle that disappeared into the low waistband of the boxers, which did not hide a very firm ass. She gave a sigh of pleasure.

“Lovey.”

She blinked and turned to look at her brother.

“That’s why you can’t stay here. This is a bachelor home. You can’t live here with two guys.”

She frowned. “Why not?”

His eyebrows flew up. “We walk around half-dressed sometimes. We don’t want to have to be worried about covering up.”

She grinned. “Don’t worry on my account. You . . . phht.” She waved a hand and rolled her eyes. “He can walk around naked anytime he wants.”

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ.” Duncan rubbed his face. “We drink beer. We make a mess. Well, I do,” he amended. “We party. Lotta the other guys hang out here too.”

She shrugged. “It’s not as if I’m not used to your friends hanging out.” He’d played hockey all through high school—well, all his life, basically—and there’d always been a bunch of guys crowding up their Columbia County dairy farmhouse.

“We have girls over.” He gave her a meaningful look.

She laughed, flopping down on the couch again. “I should hope so.”

“You’re not going to be comfortable here.”

She looked around. “I think I could be very comfortable here.” She gave a nod. “This is a gorgeous place to live. Nice view too.” In the distance Lake Michigan was a haze of blue.

“Fuck,” Duncan muttered.

Marc reappeared, now fully dressed, sadly. Although with clothes on he still looked amazeballs hot. “Sorry about that. Didn’t know you were here, uh, Lovey.”

She beamed at him. “No problem. Duncan was more freaked-out than I was.”

Duncan rolled his eyes.

Lovey studied Marc in his clothes—low-rise faded jeans that had to be specially made to fit loosely over those massive thighs, and a long-sleeve black T-shirt. She let out another brief sigh.

He moved to perch on one of the stools at the big island, then stopped as he took in the mess in the kitchen. With a head shake, he began to clean up, tossing cold pizza into the trash, loading empty beer bottles into cartons. “This place is gross.”

Duncan shrugged and leaned back. “You knew that when you moved in. Don’t get all pissy. You don’t have to clean up.”

“I know, I know.” Marc stacked empty pizza boxes into a blue recycling box. “Just can’t stand the fucking mess.”

Duncan grinned. “That’s your problem.”

Lovey looked back and forth between them. Duncan was a slob, no doubt about it. Mom had pulled her hair out trying to teach him to clean up after himself. Apparently none of it had sunk in. Marc, on the other hand . . . seemed to have learned well. Or maybe he was a neat freak.

Nothing wrong with that. Not at all.

Especially when he looked that good while cleaning up.

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Interested in hockey just a little bit more after reading this?

Well… why not fix that by picking up Major Misconduct?

Hope you haven’t gotten tired of seeing blog tours here on Reaffirming My Bookworm Status because I am loving them!

You know what else I LOVED? Crossing the Ice by Jennifer Comeaux, which is the book that today’s blog tour post is all about (if you couldn’t already tell). This blog tour is being hosted by Xpresso Book Tours and I am SO thankful to be a part of it.

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Crossing the Ice by Jennifer Comeaux
(Ice #1)
Publication date: August 2nd 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult

Synopsis:

Author Spotlight

Author Links

http://jennifercomeaux.blogspot.ca/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5368434.Jennifer_Comeaux
https://www.facebook.com/jennifercomeauxauthor
https://twitter.com/LadyWave4

Giveaway

International Tour Wide Giveaway

$20 Amazon Gift Card

Click the link below to enter!!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Review

The fact that I flew through this book and could not seem to put it down definitely tells you how much I absolutely loved it. Crossing the Ice pulled at my heartstrings multiple times, not only because it was about ice skating which I grew up doing since my brother was a hockey player or, that it took place in Cape Cod which is where my family is from (aka childhood memory central) but because the romance between Courtney and Josh is one that I wish will happen to me when the time is right.

I am a sucker for the Cutting Edge movies so when I saw that this book revolves around professional ice skaters I was so excited to read this book. I will say though, that I was a little bit skeptical because Josh is described as being sweet and shy and I usually gravitate more towards the guys who are the alpha males, but boy did Josh change my mind about that. I can safely say that I will no longer rule out the “quiet, not-so-suave” guys if they are anything like Josh. He kind of stole the show for me not only because of his personality but because of how sweet and thoughtful he was towards Courtney. The things that boy did for Courtney to show her how much he was thinking about her and cared about her made me swoon at least 10 times. I have no shame in admitting that I was not even halfway through the book and already I wanted to push Courtney out of the way and take her place. Just finding out how long Josh had had feelings for Courtney and how much he thought about her did me in. It’s safe to say that the memory on that boy would put a lot of guys to shame.

Of course, Josh is not the only thing I adored about this book. Courtney also captured my attention due to the fact that she was so ambitious and determined to achieve her dream of making the Olympic team. She has been working towards this goal since she was 12 years old and her drive has not faltered even after her father lost his job and her parents had to move to Boston while she stayed on Cape Cod to train. And, not only does she train, but she also bartends at a local restaurant to pay for her skating lessons all while applying for college which gave her major points in my book.  Courtney’s heart is just as big as her dreams which was so wonderful to see especially when she was interacting with her trainers’ twins Quinn and Alex. But despite that, she also is not afraid to speak her mind which you definitely get to see when she goes toe-to-toe with Josh’s sister Stephanie. It’s hard not to fall for Courtney when she is not only strong, opinionated, and driven but also sweet, caring, and willing to show her vulnerability especially as things heat up with her and Josh.

All in all, this book felt like home to me. There were just so many elements, like it taking place on Cape Cod where I have been going all my life to see family and escape for vacation to the fact that it is about ice skating which reminds me of the countless times of being at a rink either to watch my brother play or to ice skate myself. It was so easy to give my heart to this book and especially to these characters because Courtney and Josh’s love story is one that every girl should have or wish for and one that I am hoping I get the chance to have in the future.

If you are looking for an extremely heartwarming as well as adorably cute romance then look no further. Crossing the Ice will make you swoon, laugh, smile, and hope for a love as endearing as Courtney and Josh’s.

Ready for another one?

Today, I am so excited to be a part of the blog tour for How Forever Feels by Laura Drewry because today is its release day!! So join me in celebrating the release of this adorably heart-warming book!!

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How Forever Feels
Friends First #4

By: Laura Drewry

Releasing October 13, 2015

Loveswept

From USA Today bestselling author Laura Drewry comes a warm and witty new Friends First novel—perfect for readers of Jill Shalvis and Susan Mallery. How Forever Feels is a sweet tale about the one that got away . . . and the one that came back.

Maya McKay’s heart is as big as Jack Rhodes’s shoulders are broad. Their chemistry is out of control, but it could never work between them because Jack is more than just best friends with her cheating ex-husband—they’re like brothers. Maya, the sensitive, practical florist, has given up on love and is ready to settle for like. But now that Jack’s around again, he’s stirring up old feelings—and turning Maya’s fantasies into irresistible reality.

Jack blew his chance with Maya years ago when he stepped aside for his best friend, Will, and he’s still kicking himself about it. Maya was promised forever once before, and she got burned. But when Jack realizes that second chances aren’t going to fall out of the sky, he seizes the moment—and the woman he’s always loved—to show her how forever truly feels.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25238945-how-forever-feels

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/143634-friends-first

 

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/08/how-forever-feels-friends-first-4-by.html

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Author Spotlight

USA Today Bestselling author, Laura Drewry had been scribbling things for years before she decided to seriously sit down and write. After spending eight years in the Canadian north, Laura now lives back home in southwestern British Columbia with her husband, three sons, a turtle named Sheldon, and an extremely energetic German shepherd. She loves old tattered books, good movies, country music, and the New York Yankees.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway

Publisher will be hosting a Tour Wide Giveaway for a Select Loveswept Ebook Bundle

Interested? Well then, click the link below to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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I’m not sure how many times a person can use the word cute or adorable in the span of a review before it gets redundant or annoying but I guarantee that is what I would do if I could to describe this book. Luckily, I am going to try and use my expansive vocabulary so that no one is subject to the endless number of cute’s and adorable’s I had planned for this review. Despite it being cute/adorable, How Forever Feels is also one of those feel good romances where you just pour all your attention into the couple because you know despite all the obstacles that lay ahead of them, there is just no way they can’t not get together by the end of the book.

From the cover, which is absolutely adorable, to the title, this book had an all around air of sweetness to it. Yes, you are dealing with someone who caught her now ex-husband cheating on her and yes, that ex-husband also happens to be the best friend of the guy who has been pining for her since he met her which means cue the drama/obstacles. But despite all that, both Maya and Jack were just so lovable you couldn’t help but want to fast forward through all that conflict so that they could just be together the way they were obviously meant to be.

Jack Rhodes is a complete and utter teddy bear. All I wanted to do while I was reading this was hug him because he is so sweet and endearing. The way he is described as being this wide-shouldered, down-to-earth, goofy, doesn’t like attention brought to him kind of guy it was hard to not to let my heart melt when reading from his point of view. Especially since he experienced so much hardship and instability growing up before the Carson’s took him in. It was also incredibly refreshing to read about a male protagonist who wasn’t the alpha male, “I’m in charge” kind of guy which is what I usually gravitate towards. He has an authenticity about him because I could easily picture a guy like him existing in the real world and it is safe to say if I did meet him I would not hesitate to date him. But of course, he has eyes on someone else and who am I to step in when your dealing with someone’s forever as Maya puts it. Also, he has a dog which just makes him even more adorable than he already was.

And then there is Maya who is equally sweet and adorable. I loved the nickname that Jack gives Maya, Snip, because, and I hate to use this word, it was just so cute. Because of her height, he sees her a snippet of full-grown person, I mean, that is just so original. That one nickname tells you how close they were and the history they had before she found her husband cheating on her and Jack “sided” with Will aka Dickhead as Maya’s friends call him. You can’t help but feel for Maya after what Will did to her because it made her give up on finding her “forever” but slowly Jack restores that as you see the connection these two have. Yes, there is that conflict given the fact that Jack is Will’s best friend but even in the first few chapters I was like forget about that, these two have to get together. Maybe that is the hopeless romantic in me talking but I couldn’t help but fall for both Maya and Jack very early on in this book.

This second chance love story with its delightfully lovable characters will make anyone want to search for their “forever” if they haven’t found it already.

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Jack lifted his hands. “Hold on. In his defense, I think they were off at that point but were still . . . Anyway, when I saw Maya and her friend come in, I figured there was no way someone like her could possibly be single, so I kept waiting for some guy to show up. No one did, and I couldn’t just leave her sitting there, looking all kinds of pathetic in her grass skirt and plastic lei . . .”

Laughing, he dodged the elbow Maya jabbed at him. “So I grabbed a couple drinks and headed over.”

“Oh.” Jayne’s soft sigh floated across the table, followed immediately by Regan’s snort.

“Are you freakin’ kidding me?” she asked. “Maya picked Dickhead over you?”

“What?” Maya sputtered as she shook her head. “No!”

“I think you did,” Ellie said. “Sure sounds that way.”

“That’s not what he meant. Jack wasn’t hitting on me, he was—”

“Maya.”

“What?” Her tongue froze the second her gaze locked on Jack’s. “You were?”

His warm hazel eyes wide, Jack shrugged slightly and laughed over the rim of his bottle. “There’s only two reasons a guy buys a girl a drink, Snip: He’s either trying to pick her up or he’s trying to apologize.”

“Which one’s this?” Ellie asked, but both Maya and Jack ignored her.

“Oh my God, Jack.” Slapping her hands over her face, Maya couldn’t believe her cheeks could burn that hot and not burst into flames. “Then why did you wave Will over and introduce me to him?”

“I didn’t wave him over; I was trying to wave him off, but then you had to go and smile at him, and that was it. Big goofy dude like me didn’t stand a chance, so I took my sorry self and my stupid piña colada back to the limbo pole.”

“Wow.” Regan couldn’t seem to stop shaking her head. “Just when I thought Dickhead couldn’t be any more of a dickhead.”

It was all Maya could do to look at Jack now, and when she did, it was through a mortified wince.

“Don’t worry about it, Snip. It all seems to have worked out in the long run, right?” His quick wink and teasing grin made her laugh.

“Yeah,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Worked out great.”

“So.” Ellie sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. “He steals your girl and you stay friends with him? What the hell’s wrong with you?”

“She wasn’t exactly my girl.” Jack chuckled. “I think we’d been talking for . . . what . . . like ten minutes?”

Maya nodded. “Yeah, something like that.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever.” Leaning her elbows on the table, hands folded, Regan sighed dramatically. “Please tell us you’re not still friends with him.”

“Uh . . .” Jack tipped his head toward Maya and pretended to whisper. “Any chance I can lie my way out of this?”

“Doubt it. Ellie’s like a bloodhound about things like that.”

“Great.” Sitting straight up again, he inhaled deeply and nodded. “Then the answer to that would be ‘Yes, Will and I are still friends.’””

Shaking her head slowly, Ellie huffed out a long sigh.

“Jack, Jack, Jack,” she said. “That’s too bad.”

“We hate Dickhead,” Jayne said.

“Really?” He smirked. “I never would’ve guessed.”

Regan, Ellie, and Jayne nodded in unison, each one doing a horrible job of keeping a straight face as Regan explained what was
what.

“Staying friends with him means we’re going to have to hate you on principle, which is too bad, because you seem like a nice guy and I, for one, had such high hopes for you. Sorry.”

“No, of course. Completely understandable.” Always a good sport, he bobbed his head in solemn agreement. “But before you have me lynched, would it do my case any good if I was to . . . I don’t know, just spitballin’ here . . . maybe pick up the tab tonight?”

“Don’t listen to Regan.” Unable to hold her grin back any longer, Ellie gave Regan a gentle shove and leaned closer to Jack. “I knew I was going to like you, Jack. Now let’s see what we can do about racking up that tab a little while you tell us all your secrets.”

She flagged Shelley for another round.

A flash of panic skittered across his eyes as he lifted his bottle; it was a look Maya had seen before, the same one he got whenever anyone wanted to make him the focus of the conversation.

“Well, that shouldn’t take long,” he finally said. “Snip’ll tell you how boring I am.”

“Why do you call her ‘Snip’?”

Maya sighed over a smile. “Because he thinks I’m like a snippet of a full-grown person.”

“Well, come on,” he teased. “You’re what, four foot nothing—you’re like a hobbit.”

“I’m five two!” Maya sat up as straight as she could when everyone else at the table raised their eyebrows at her. “I am so!”

Still blowing her off, they all sat back a little so Shelley could clear the empty glasses and replace their empty peanut bowl.

“And Jack isn’t even a little bit boring,” Maya said. “He has degrees in both creative writing and media arts and he designs videogames.”

Halfway through what she was saying, Jack leaned back, looked behind her, around her, and then under the table.

“What are you looking for?”

“Pom-poms.” With an exaggerated eye roll, he turned back to the others. “I don’t design the games, I just write parts of the scripts for some of them; the rest of the team makes the games work.”

“Just?” Jayne asked. “I’d guess the script is equally as important as everything else about the game.”

“Thank you, Jayne.” Maya stared pointedly at Jack as she spoke, as if that would somehow finally help to get it through his head. “I’ve tried telling him that about a hundred times.”

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Want to fall in love with characters with hearts as wide as their shoulders?
Then go pick up How Forever Feels by Laura Drewry, it’s as simple as that.

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Hope everyone has been enjoying the blog tour posts here on Reaffirming My Bookworm Status because this week will be blog tour central. I just wanted to say in advance that I am so thankful to be a part of each of these tours.

Today’s blog tour post is for Kissed by Water by Delwyn Jenkins. It is an action packed fantasy with a romance that is equal parts hot and heart-wrenching (in a good way!). Get ready to be taken on a journey with this one because you won’t regret it!

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Kissed by Water
The Watchtower Chronicles #3

By: Delwyn Jenkins

Releasing September 24, 2015
Momentum

Charlotte McLaren is tired of being the good girl – the shy, gentle soul that everyone tiptoes around in case she startles. She wants to be strong and decisive, as powerful and independent as her Witch-sisters. She’s determined to join in the fight against their enemy and to do that she has to challenge everything she’s been taught to believe.

Tristan, a Watchtower Knight, has spent three agonizing months locked in a hell of dark magic – and he emerges a changed man. No longer fun and carefree, there’s a darkness in him now that stalks and prowls, just waiting to escape. A darkness he’s desperate to keep from everyone he cares about, especially the lovely Charlotte.

But his water Witch lures him with her innocence and determination, making demands he’s not sure he can fulfill. His honor demands he walk away, but his heart already knows it’s too late.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25117156-kissed-by-water
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/143153-the-watchtower-chronicles

Buy Links:  Amazon US | Amazon AU | B & N | iTunes | Kobo
Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/08/kissed-by-water-watchtower-chronicles-3.html

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Author Spotlight

Delwyn Jenkins likes radical career changes. After serving in the Australian Navy for ten years (and being exceptionally disciplined) she switched to a full-time university Arts student (where getting out of bed before 11am proved traumatic). She’s worked as a teacher, an editor, and now writes full time – a career she plans to stick with for as long as anyone wants to read her stories.

She’s an avid reader and movie-goer, an amateur belly dancer, and a disinterested cook. She live on the beautiful south-east coast of Australia where the changeable weather suits her mercurial nature. She writes sexy, sensual paranormal romance as Delwyn Jenkins and also writes erotic romance under the pen-name DJ Michaels.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Giveaway
Want a chance to win the first two books in this amazing series?

 Well, Delwyn will be hosting a Tour Wide Giveaway for a Digital Gifted Ebook Set of The Watchtower Chronicles Books 1 & 2

Click the link down below to enter into the giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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First off, let me say that this is the first book that I have read in The Watchtower Chronicles and due to that my understanding of the world and the characters was not as well rounded as opposed to if I had read the previous two novels. With that being said though, I was still able to get swept up in this fantastical world full of strong, badass Witches and their sexy, chivalrous Watchtower Knights. It is because of this that I fully intend to read the previous two novel and continue on with the series.

Before I get to the protagonists of this action-packed fantasy romance, I just want to gush on how amazingly detailed the world was. As a reader who has no previous knowledge or context of the world in The Watchtower Chronicles, I very much appreciated how much detail was provided by the author not only in the beginning of the novel but also throughout. In fantasy books such as these, the world building is a key component because without it the reader is lost and confused in regards to what is going on. That is not the case here at all. From the first chapter you are sucked in, as you are introduced to Tristan and the agony he is facing given the circumstances he is in. Not long after that you are introduced to Charlotte, who is a water Witch, and from there you learn about the magic system in the book which, I absolutely loved! The idea of the Quatre and how it is made up of four Witches, each who possess the powers of one of the 4 elements (air, earth, fire, water) was so fascinating to me especially given the fact that they, as women, are viewed as the ones who truly hold the power. Strong, capable women characters are something I adore reading about because you just instinctively root for them from the very beginning no matter what.

I also loved the concept of where Charlotte and her Quatre lived and studied the harnessing of their powers. The Collegium is basically just like a magical college but it is interesting that it located in the World Between, which is  another realm that exists next to but separate from the real world. In the Collegium, the time period is pushed back from modern times as technology is banned and the Witches must where laced bodices and long full skirts instead of normal clothes one would expect. The modern world make an appearance once or twice in the novel which is so intriguing to picture given how different the elements in both worlds are when positioned side by side.

And now for Charlotte and Tristan, whose love for one another has grown over the span of the first two books and comes to a pivotal point in this novel. It is clear the lengths these two will go for each other, even if they are resistant to admit their feelings for each other, due to the fact that Charlotte risks her life in the beginning pages of the book in order to get Tristan out of the turmoil he is in. I will say, that  I had to keep in mind that Tristan and Charlotte’s love story most likely began in small moments throughout the first two books so the degree of love they have for one another in this book has already developed quite far. This context was important for me because I did not want to write off their love as insta-love because it clearly wasn’t. You could see the just how much they cared for one another especially in Charlotte’s actions in the first few chapters. They risked their lives for one another without hesitation and I found that to be so noble and so captivating.

Tristan has definitely changed from who he was in the first two books which makes me want to go back and read how he was in the first two books. Regardless of that, you still get to see glimpses of the old him especially when he is seducing Charlotte, who by all means is described as the good girl who does what is expected of her. Their dynamic together was so entertaining to read especially when shy Charlotte turned badass and stood up to Tristan, telling him not to assume that he knows what she wants. I was able to relate to Charlotte through her personality traits of being shy and not wanting to attract attention to herself but I also was so proud of her when she took control and put Tristan in his place. Overall, their relationship stands the test of time as obstacles are put in their way. As the reader, all you can do is hold your breath and root for them to fight past them and be together.

You’ve got an imaginative, unique magic system and world, a romance that will capture your heart, and even a battle of good versus evil that will leave you on the edge of your seats. These are just some of the reasons why you should not hesitate to go and pick up this spectacular fantasy romance novel by Dewlyn Jenkins.

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Tristan followed Charlotte to the tables set up in the dappled shadows of the roof garden. Waiting until she took her seat Tristan pulled out a chair and sat next to her. She leaned on the table, turned her head slightly to look at him and his gut churned in an unsettling prescience.

She licked her lips – a nervous habit he normally found endearing. Right now it just set him on edge. “Tristan, I want to ask you something.”

No. He knew what she was going to ask and he couldn’t let the words leave her lips. He was afraid if she gathered the courage to make the request he wouldn’t be able to deny her. And he had to.

“Charlotte, I can’t.” He fisted his hands in his lap so he didn’t reach for her. “I’m so sorry.”

The dejected slump of her shoulders was akin to a slap, and he felt the pain of it right down to his soul. She took three breaths, then four, and on the fifth she straightened her spine and looked him in the eye. “I haven’t actually asked anything yet.”

“You don’t need to.” His heart slammed against his ribs and the need to say yes warred with the necessity of saying no. “I can only think of one thing that would charge your energy with that particular mix of fear, determination and want. You intend to trigger your Quickening, and with the connection we’ve forged, you’re considering me as a partner.”

She stared at him and he sat quietly, allowing her the time to come up with a considered response.

“Do you have any idea how hard this is for me?” Her voice was steady but her agitation rolled off her in waves.

“Yes, I do.” Before he could stop himself, he reached out and he placed his hand over hers. “I know you, Charlotte, your strengths and frailties. You don’t want to be left behind by Kam and Mycah and you don’t want to be the weak link in your Quatre.”

There were so many reasons he was a bad choice for her – he was a womanizer, incapable of forming relationships that lasted more than a couple days. He was a Knight, bound to the service of the Watchtower and compelled to live his life in the World Between. Charlotte deserved someone who could be there for her, who could commit to her in the way she deserved.

And knowing all that, he still would have been bastard enough to say yes before his foray into the dark. Regardless of the sensible reasons they were wrong for each other, right now the only thing keeping him in check was his need to protect her from the darkness.

He couldn’t tell her that, of course. So he stuck with the most obvious truth. “You need a male who will care for you, Char. One who will lead the dance slow and easy, who won’t push you further than you want to go.”

Charlotte’s mouth dropped and the look of horror on her face froze the words on his tongue. Jerking out of his grasp she lurched to her feet, knocking her chair to the ground and panting as if she’d run a mile.

“You total idiot. You don’t see me at all, do you?” She took a couple of unsteady steps and her voice rose.

“Do you think that’s who I am? Some timid rabbit that has to be led around on a ribbon because she’s too stupid and cowardly to go after what she wants?”

“What? No, of course not –”

“Be quiet! I’m talking now.”

Tristan clamped his mouth shut. Charlotte may not be a timid rabbit, but she was no lion either. The fact that she was angry enough to yell at him told him just how far he’d missed the mark.

She stalked closer, her body almost vibrating with rage. It was Charlotte as he’d never seen her and he had no idea what to make of it. Leaning down, she placed her hands on the arms of his chair and lowered her face until they were eye to eye.

“What I want,” she said, her voice low and seething, “is to live. I want passion and excitement. I want to dance in the rain and kiss in the moonlight. I want reckless and edgy, not boring and safe. A lot of things changed while you were asleep, Tristan the Seducer. Don’t presume to know me or what I want anymore.”

Charlotte spun away from him and stalked across the lawn and down the stairs. Tristan was so shocked, so utterly gobsmacked, he did nothing but watch her go. If his sweet Charlotte turned wild and reckless, he had no idea how he was going to resist taking her to bed – no matter how necessary that resistance might be.

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Has what you’ve read so far got you wanting more?
Then why not pick up Kissed by Water by Delwyn Jenkins and begin your journey into the World Between today?

It’s time for another blog tour!

I am so excited to be a spot on this book’s blog tour hosted by Tasty Book Tours especially since today is its release day!! Let’s celebrate together the release of this wonderfully adorable book, Irresistibly Yours by Lauren Layne!!

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Irresistibly Yours

Oxford #1
By: Lauren Layne
Releasing October 6, 2015
Loveswept

Meet the men of Oxford magazine! In the first captivating spin-off of Lauren Layne’s Sex, Love & Stiletto series, a not-so-friendly battle of the sexes turns into a scorching office romance.

Hotshot sports editor Cole Sharpe has been freelancing for Oxford for years, so when he hears about a staff position opening up, he figures he’s got the inside track. Then his boss drops a bombshell: Cole has competition. Female competition, in the form of a fresh-faced tomboy who can hang with the dudes—and write circles around them, too. Cole usually likes his women flirty and curvy, but he takes a special interest in his skinny, sassy rival, if only to keep an eye on her. And soon, he can’t take his eyes off her.

Penelope Pope knows all too well that she comes off as just one of the guys. Since she’s learned that wanting more usually leads to disappointment, Penelope’s resigned to sitting on the sidelines when it comes to love. So why does Cole make her want to get back in the game? The man is as arrogant as he is handsome. He probably sees her as nothing more than a barrier to his dream job. But when an unexpected kiss turns into a night of irresistible passion, Penelope has to figure out whether they’re just fooling around—or starting something real.

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Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/08/irresistibly-yours-oxford-1-by-lauren.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23395414-irresistibly-yours
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/149063-oxford

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ONUYEZA

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/irresistibly-yours-lauren-layne/1120611582?ean=9781101884843

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/irresistibly-yours/id987282253?mt=11

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/irresistibly-yours-2

Tour Wide Giveaway
Enter to win a Select Loveswept Ebook Bundle!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Author Spotlight

Lauren Layne is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. In 2011, she and her husband moved from Seattle to New York City, where Lauren decided to pursue a full-time writing career. It took six months to get her first book deal (despite ardent assurances to her husband that it would only take three). Since then, Lauren’s gone on to publish ten books, including the bestselling Stiletto series, with several more on the way in 2015.

Lauren currently lives in Chicago with her husband and spoiled Pomeranian. When not writing, you’ll find her at happy hour, running at a doggedly slow pace, or trying to straighten her naturally curly hair.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Website: http://www.laurenlayne.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/laurenlayneauthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/_laurenlayne

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6969772.Lauren_Layne

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To say that Irresistibly Yours is cute is an understatement. Like I said at the beginning of this post, this book was wonderfully adorable and extremely heartwarming. Penelope and Cole’s relationship and how it progressed felt very real and genuine to me despite the circumstances of how their lives collided with one another. And adding the sports element to the book only elevated  it because you could see how much passion both Penelope and Cole had for it, making them obviously perfect for one another.

Penelope Pope is just a little bundle of joy which is very much accurate seeing as Cole gives her the nickname “Tiny” in the first part of the book. She is such a strong, capable women despite her size, going after what she wants with such force that you can’t help but admire her determination. Moving from Chicago to New York City because of Oxford’s sports editor position, taking that risk is an amazing feat for her along with the fact that she did her homework, so to speak, and knows almost everything about the world of sports and the athletes in it. I absolutely loved that Penelope and Cole meet because they are both competing for the position at Oxford because it just provides an amazing example of how a women can take on a male dominated world and make such an impact that she is chosen as a finalist for this highly coveted position. Her positivity and passion is what really shines through throughout the book.

And then there is Cole, who honestly has become one of my new favorite fictional boyfriends purely off the fact that he is so kindhearted and sweet. Yes, he is still a guy especially when he is checking out Penelope at the baseball game before he knew who she really was. But despite the remarks of him being a “ladies man” or “bachelor”, I really fell in love with Cole because of his heart and how he was so giving to Penelope even when she was the one thing standing in the way of him getting his dream job which would provide him with the means to take care of his brother. And then of course, there is the relationship he has with his brother which was so amazing to read considering Bobby’s circumstances (no spoilers, of course). Once you realize the extent of what Cole is doing to provide for his brother and the dependency they have on one another, your heart can’t help but flutter a little bit. All in all, Cole’s caring and loving heart takes center stage and leaving you desperately wanting to take Penelope’s place and have him fall in love with you instead.

The nature and progression of Penelope and Cole’s relationship is also another element that I loved because it was a perfect example of how a man and a women can be friends and comfortable around each other before romantic feelings kick in and take over. The ease and simplicity of their friendship was so great to see in the book because you couldn’t help but smile as they teased one another or talked/argued about sports especially since you knew that the tension building around their interactions was going to lead to something more than friends.

In spite of all that, there were some things about this book that became tiresome after awhile or didn’t play out the way I thought it would. Penelope’s feelings of not be worthy enough for a man like Cole to be interested in her was very much understandable to me because those feelings mimic the ones I have from time to time. They also connect back to that sense of “realness” that can be felt throughout the book allowing you to be able to connect with Penelope as a character. But once we get into the second half of the book, those feelings became redundant to me to the point that I wanted to physically shake Penelope and tell her she is good enough for Cole or any man for that matter and she needs to start acting like it. She does show that strength shortly after but I just thought it could have been dialed back a little bit more. I also expected the ending to be a little more grand in its execution just because their love for one another was so palpable for me but I realized that it again plays more towards that feeling of authenticity that this ending could very much happen in real life.

If you are looking for a romance that is genuine, pulls at your heart strings, and also makes you whole-heartedly fall in love with the characters then I suggest you pick up Irresistibly Yours. It shows you just how amazing it would be to find that person you are comfortable being yourself around but also the one you can call the love of your life. Despite how they met, Penelope and Cole are the perfect example of what it means to find your best friend AND your soulmate which is something truly magical to witness. Go pick up Irresistibly Yours today!!

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