Review: We'll Always Have Paris: A Mother/Daughter

We'll Always Have Paris: 
A Mother/Daughter Memoir

Author: Jennifer Coburn

Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir, Travel

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Publication Date: April 8 2014

Format: ebook

Pages: 391

Source: France Book Tours / NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon | Amazon CA | B&N
Indigo | iBooks | Kobo

Rating: ★★★

How her daughter and her passport taught Jennifer to live like there's no tomorrow.

Jennifer Coburn has always been terrified of dying young. So she decides to save up and drop everything to travel with her daughter, Katie, on a whirlwind European adventure before it's too late. Even though her husband can't join them, even though she's nervous about the journey, and even though she's perfectly healthy, Jennifer is determined to jam her daughter's mental photo album with memories?just in case.

From the cafes of Paris to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Jennifer and Katie take on Europe one city at a time, united by their desire to see the world and spend precious time together. In this heartwarming generational love story, Jennifer reveals how their adventures helped vanquish her fear of dying...for the sake of living. [Provided by the author] (Goodreads)

***

Opening Lines

"Jail?!" my husband William shouted through the telephone.
"We were never actually in a jail cell," I explained, now safely back in our hotel room. "It was just a warning."

I remember when I first came across this book and how I was looking forward to reading something that had travelling and a mother-daughter experience all bundled in one! I read the first part of the Introduction and was happy for the humour and then that was quickly striped away by the second part of the introduction revolving around Jennifer's father. 

Once you start reading We'll Always Have Paris you start to realize why Jennifer is so afraid of dying young and is trying to make the most of this trip, just in case. I understand that authors don't put everything into the synopsis but I wish the meaning behind Jennifer's fear of dying was. When the tidbits about her father popped up I started to feel like it was random information just shoved in their to fill space, but I came to understand it's importance and how it's shaped Jennifer into the women she is today and why it was so important for her to make the most of memories for Katie.

Unfortunately, We'll Always Have Paris didn't keep me interested although out. I had to take many breaks from reading it, I feel like I would have enjoyed it more if maybe we had different perspectives or maybe a diary entry or something. I just felt flat being told from first perspective from start to finish. The writing style fell into a couple of awkward ruts of rambling but I really loved the descriptions given. This is one aspect Jennifer excelled at! I felt like I was with them while they were travel, all their experiences and what they were seeing felt so real! It made me want to pack a bag, grab my mom and passports and travel all of Europe.

Fear of dying is something almost every can relate to, or at least I think. We'll Always Have Paris had the potential to deliver a powerful message of living your life to the fullest no matter what, but I felt like it didn't give it's all. I'm not saying that message wasn't conveyed at all, I just felt like to got lost at times. A couple of things just didn't work for me. I was expecting a happy, humorous read with a great life lesson and that's not completely what I got.

Overall, We'll Always Have Paris was interesting travel read. It show cased a mother wanting to make the most of her time with her daughter, the closure of losing a father and a calm husband who clearly loves his family.

GIVEAWAY!!

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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUpO3eO_81k]

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer Coburn is a USA Today best selling author of six novels and contributor to four literary anthologies. Over the past two decades, Coburn has received numerous awards from the Press Club and Society for Professional Journalists for articles that appeared in Mothering, Big Apple Baby, The Miami Herald, The San Diego Union-Tribune and dozens of national and regional publications.

She has also written for Salon.com, Creators News Syndicate and The Huffington Post. Coburn lives in San Diego with her husband, William, and their daughter, Katie. We'll Always Have Paris is her first memoir.

Visit her website.

Follow Jennifer Coburn on Twitter | Facebook

Get in touch

Buy the book | on Amazon | on Barnes & Noble

***

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5 print copies: US residents only.

CLICK ON THE BANNER
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Cover Reveal: Past Haven

Today we're revealing the cover for PAST HEAVEN by Laura Ward! Check out the cover and excerpt below and let us know what you think!

Past Haven

Author: Laura Ward
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: Jan 26 2015
Designer: Okay Creations
Source: WordSmith Publicity

Not every love story has a happy ending. Some just change your life.

Liz Atwater’s happily ever after was torn from her the instant her husband, Jack, was murdered. She is forced to pick up the shattered pieces of her life and raise her three young sons alone.

Reynold Carter’s picture perfect Hollywood life ended the moment the paparazzi got hold of his girlfriend’s cheating scandal. As he watches his life unfold in the tabloids, he comes to a crossroads in his career and his purpose.

When Reynolds takes on the challenge of a new project, his world collides with that of Liz. Neither of them expected their professional relationship to evolve into friendship, or love.

But life is never simple.

Faced with complications from family, friends, and colleagues, Liz and Reynolds are left to decide whether two people from such different worlds can find happiness together.

Can they get past the pain, fear, and guilt and risk their hearts to love again?

Not every love story is just a happy ending. Some completely change your life. (Goodreads)

Excerpt

He smiled and reached out to hug me. I again tried to swallow around the lump in my throat. After several run-ins with over-zealous fans, I hesitated whenever a stranger tried to hug me. Today I met people that cared so much about each other that handshakes weren’t enough.

Elwood’s voice was shaky. “My whole life I was called a retard. Told I was stupid, worth nothin’. At Caldwell, they would hit me if I didn’t eat fast enough, make my bed right, or clean the bathroom correct. Took my things, laughed at me when I couldn’t speak, and gave me no respect. Hated it there. I’ll never forget Jack. He met me. Shook my hand. Treated me like a man. He saved my life, and I love him.”

I could only nod as Elwood turned and walked up the stairs to the bus. He waved from his seat as it pulled away. I stood, unable to move, as I watched the bus turn down the street. My thoughts were all over the place while everything around me moved in slow motion.

Liz turned toward me, and our eyes met. She looked concerned. “Are you okay? Too much?”

I couldn’t answer her. I grabbed her hand and squeezed it as we walked to the car. It was too much, but it was all the right kind of too much.

About the Author

LAURA WARD is the author of New Adult novel, Not Yet, She lives in Maryland with her loud and very loving three children and husband. Laura married her college sweetheart and is endlessly grateful for the support he has given her through all their years together, and especially toward her goal of writing books. When not picking up toy trucks, driving to lacrosse practice, or checking spelling homework, Laura is writing or reading romance novels.

Contact Laura at:

Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Facebook

Email — laurawardauthor@yahoo.com

Release Day Blast: You and Everything After

Thank you for joining us for the You and Everything After Release Day Event, with Ginger Scott, and hosted by Wordsmith Publicity. Visit the tour homepage for a complete list of events and blogs.

You and Everything After

Author: Ginger Scott
Series: Falling, #2
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Ginger Scott
Publication Date: December 5 2014
Format: ebook
Pages: 274
Source: WordSmith Publicity
Purchase: Amazon | Amazon CA | B&N
iBooks | Kobo

I’m that teenaged girl who has MS. You haven’t met me, but you’ve seen me around. You probably know my sister. We’re twins, and she’s the pretty one. Maybe you’ve heard about my reputation, how much I like to hook up at parties—how easy it is to get me in bed, get what you want, and forget about me after.

Forget what you think you know. I’m leaving that girl behind.

College is all about new beginnings. So from now on—I’m just Cass. And the rest…it isn’t written yet. And no one else gets to write my story for me.

--------

“Tyson Preeter doesn’t do can’t.”

That’s exactly what I want people to think when they see me. I am strong, invincible, confident, intelligent—arrogant. I’m the man who always finds a way around, over and through—until there’s nothing left. Since losing my ability to walk six years ago, I’ve relearned life. I don’t need sympathy. I don’t want charity. And I don’t do love.

It’s better this way, saves my disappointments for me, and me alone, and it saves my strength for everything I want.

But Cass Owens is about to wreck everything. She’s about to steal all of my strength away from me, because she needs it more. She’s about to break all of my rules, and break down all of my walls. She’s about to own me…completely.

And I’m about to let her.

**This is the second book in the Falling series. Each book can be read as a standalone and will focus on a different couple.** (Goodreads)

Excerpt 

I thought I felt foolish about being younger. But that was before I made a floor display of every cliché low-self-esteem brochure printed in the state of Oklahoma. Naturally, the most embarrassing one is in Ty’s hands right now.

“How to Love Yourself So Others Will Too,” Ty reads, flipping the book in his hands and skimming his eyes over the description on the back. I take this opportunity to scoop everything else up in my arms and sit on the floor with my legs crossed, quickly stuffing things back in my bag. “Oh, this is good. Wait, listen to this one…”

He starts to quote a few of the passages, mocking the stereotypical affirmations and examples in the book. I know they’re stupid—and hearing them now, I’m not sure why I picked the book up. But reading it made me feel good an hour or two ago. “Wow, what class is making you read this shit?” he asks, finally putting the book down. His laughter cuts short when he sees me, my eyes buried in my lap.

“It’s not for a class,” I say, looking up long enough to get the book from him. “My stuff’s in the dryer. Just…just knock on my door when it buzzes done.” I leave quickly, clutching my things close to my chest and feeling ridiculous.

I don’t bother to zip my bag up again, instead carrying it all into my room and letting everything spill out into a pile on my bed. I don’t know what made me check all of these things out. It all started with the book Ty was reading, actually. My hands gravitated to it while I was looking through some of the health and wellness books. At first, my attraction was the same as Ty’s—I found the book amusing. But some of those cheesy sayings actually rang true, especially the ones about feeling inferior to siblings and how we use self-deprecating humor as a crutch. Next thing I knew…I had two books, four magazines, and a dozen brochures.

Ty’s knock on my door is soft. I hadn’t shut it all the way when I walked in, so he takes advantage and comes all the way into my room with little warning.

“Dry already?” I ask, doing my best to pretend none of that happened. I pick the pillow up from my lap, laying it over the embarrassing evidence.

“No,” Ty responds, moving closer until he’s at the foot of my bed. Without pause, he slides from his chair to the bed until he’s sitting next to me. He picks up the pillow, and my stomach sinks. His smile is soft as he scoops everything into my bag, and slides it all to the floor, closing the distance between us even more until his hand is suddenly cradling my cheek.

“Just so we’re clear here, I mean this,” he says, pressing his lips softly against mine as his other hand moves to my chin, tilting my mouth toward him. I’ve been kissed by some pretty convincing boys in my life, each one wanting to make me believe something by the way their mouth worked against mine, the way their tongues coaxed their way inside. This one kiss from Ty was like removing a blindfold.

-------

This Is Falling

Author: Ginger Scott
Series: Falling, #1
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Ginger Scott
Format: ebook
Pages: 281
Purchase: Amazon | Amazon CA
B&N | iBooks | Kobo

First, I had to remember how to breathe. Then, I had to learn how to survive. Two years, three months and sixteen days had passed since I was the Rowe Stanton from before, since tragedy stole my youth and my heart went along with it.

When I left for college, I put a thousand miles between my future and my past. I’d made a choice—I was going to cross back to the other side, to live with the living. I just didn’t know how.

And then I met Nate Preeter.

An All-American baseball player, Nate wasn’t supposed to notice a ghost-of-a-girl like me. But he did. He shouldn’t want to know my name. But he did. And when he learned my secret and saw the scars it left behind, he was supposed to run. But he didn’t.

My heart was dead, and I was never supposed to belong to anyone. But Nate Preeter had me feeling, and he made me want to be his. He showed me everything I was missing.

And then he showed me how to fall.

*This is a standalone in a three-part series that will focus on different characters. Each book can be read on its own.* (Goodreads)

Giveaway!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Ginger Scott is a writer and journalist from Peoria, Arizona. She is the author of four young and new adult romances, with her fifth title, This Is Falling, set to release in late August 2014.

Scott has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than 15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work, visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.

When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Scott is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).

Links: Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Review: Just Not Ready Yet

Welcome to my tour stop for Just Not Ready Yet by Brooklyn James!!

Check out the schedule for more stops.

Just Not Ready Yet

Author: Brooklyn James
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Arena Books
Publication Date: Nov 1 2014
Format: ebook
Pages: 286
Source: CBB Book Promotions
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Rating: ★★★ . 5

Charlize 'Charlie' McCloud, widow and mother of two young children, is agonizingly content living in the past. Her secluded life on a sprawling central Texas ranch provides the perfect dreamscape to obsessively reconnect and reminisce about her college sweetheart—her first and only love—Cash McCloud.

When intern, Hunter Bowie, arrives on the ranch to work for the summer, his handsome and engaging ingress into her world threatens the safekeeping of her treasured reliving. Her interest in moving on as departed as her late husband, Hunter's youthful exuberance revives dreams she once laid to rest.

Hunter's presence stirs up everyone around the ranch, including her late husband's older brother, Cage McCloud. Charlie continuously pushes him away. A near replica of Cash, Cage's very existence is a painstaking reminder of how much she has lost.

Unintentionally revealing the truth about Cash's death, Cage sets off a firestorm of emotions, ultimately propelling Charlie to face her future—hopefully one that includes him. (Goodreads)

Opening Lines

“Keep on…keep on keepin’ on,’ Jack Ingram & The Beat Up Ford Band floods out of the speakers of a 1972 convertible Ford Bronco.

Hunter Bowie, a sandy-haired blue-eyed Texas A&M student, sits at the wheel of the customized maroon and white Bronco, proudly touting his school colors. Flagrant decals―Gig ’Em, I Bleed Maroon and Fear The Aggies―line his bumper.”

Just Not Ready Yet was a book that blew me away. I love reading a good romance story but this one just had elements to it that I wasn't expecting. This was my first read by Brooklyn James and I'm definitely interested in reading more of her future work.

When I first read the synopsis I gathered the fact that she's still dealing with the lost of her husband, but the flashbacks throughout this book were beautiful, my eyes were constantly watering! Trust me when I say those weren't the only moments my eyes were watering. Although the writing style was a bit hard for me to follow at times, the way Brooklyn James sheds light on her character is just amazing. I wanted happy endings for everyone!

Here I thought I would be getting a cute romance story with the Western setting. This did have the Western setting, but there was nothing cute about the romance! Now, let me elaborate on that before you get the wrong idea. I thought Charlie would experience a simple romance, something obvious and one that she would have to second guess if it was worth opening her heart again. What I wasn't expecting was to be so emotionally invested in Just Not Ready Yet! I didn't want to put this book down, every chance I got I read a couple of chapters needing to know who she would end up with and how the story would all tie together in the end.

I couldn't even imagine going through what Charlie went through, plus the "secrets" that come out. The life lessons and hidden message throughout Just Not Ready Yet were so inspiring. Overall, Just Not Ready Yet was a great romance read! This book had get characters, was emotional, great life lessons, and add in sprinkle of hotness!

Giveaway

$15 Amazon Gift Card (INT) | Ends Dec. 10th

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Brooklyn James is an author/singer/songwriter inspired by life in the Live Music Capital of Austin, Texas. Her first novel, The Boots My Mother Gave Me, has an original music soundtrack and was chosen as a Quarter Finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. This book has ranked in Kindle's Top 100 Coming of Age and Women's Fiction.

When she is not writing books, she can be found playing live music around Austin as part of an acoustic duo. Like most everyone, she treasures her time spent with family and friends. She and her husband welcomed their first child this past Christmas. Brooklyn has been in a Weezer video, met Harry Connick Jr. as an extra on the set of When Angels Sing, and she was Mira Sorvino's stand-in on Jerry Bruckheimer's Trooper pilot for TNT. She enjoys reading, dancing, working out, fishing with her hubby, and a good glass of kombucha.

Brooklyn holds an M.A. in Communication, and a B.S. in both Nursing and Animal Science. Her nursing career has seen specialties in the areas of Intensive Care and Postpartum. She serves as a Guest Speaker with a focus on awareness and prevention of Domestic Violence and Suicide.

Find her on her Website or Facebook. You can also find her music on Amazon, iTunes, CDBaby, YouTube, and Pandora.

Webpage | Facebook | Amazon | YouTube | Twitter

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

Waiting on Wednesday (17): Zodiac

**Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights highly anticipated upcoming releases.**

Zodiac

Author: Romina Russell
Series: Zodiac, #1
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: December 9 2014
Format: Hardcover, ebook
Pages: 336
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

At the dawn of time, there were 13 Houses in the Zodiac Galaxy. Now only 12 remain….

Rhoma Grace is a 16-year-old student from House Cancer with an unusual way of reading the stars. While her classmates use measurements to make accurate astrological predictions, Rho can’t solve for ‘x’ to save her life—so instead, she looks up at the night sky and makes up stories.

When a violent blast strikes the moons of Cancer, sending its ocean planet off-kilter and killing thousands of citizens—including its beloved Guardian—Rho is more surprised than anyone when she is named the House’s new leader. But, a true Cancrian who loves her home fiercely and will protect her people no matter what, Rho accepts.

Then, when more Houses fall victim to freak weather catastrophes, Rho starts seeing a pattern in the stars. She suspects Ophiuchus—the exiled 13th Guardian of Zodiac legend—has returned to exact his revenge across the Galaxy. Now Rho—along with Hysan Dax, a young envoy from House Libra, and Mathias, her guide and a member of her Royal Guard—must travel through the Zodiac to warn the other Guardians.

But who will believe anything this young novice says? Whom can Rho trust in a universe defined by differences? And how can she convince twelve worlds to unite as one Zodiac?

Embark on a dazzling journey with ZODIAC, the first novel in an epic sci-fi-meets-high-fantasy series set in a galaxy inspired by the astrological signs. (Goodreads)

Why I'm Waiting

I'm in love with anything that has to do with astrology and I do believe in then especially since mine are always accurate (I know it's not something for everyone). So the fact that someone is taking that aspect and turning it into a book makes me so excited! And the synopsis sounds promising, so it was an obvious MUST READ for me!

What are you waiting on this week?! 

Please leave me links to your WoW below!! :)

Waiting on Wednesday (16): A Furious Muse

**Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights highly anticipated upcoming releases.**

A Furious Muse

Author: A.J. Nuest
Series: The Golden Key Legacy
Genre: Sci-Fi, Romance, Fantasy
Publisher: HaperImpulseUK
Publication Date: November 27 2014
Format: ebook
Pages: 106
Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Since the day of her birth, Princess Faedrah Austiere has been defined by her place within the kingdom. As the single heir to the half-blood gypsy king and his prophesied white queen, she is fiercely protected, shuttered inside an ivory castle and well-trained in the art of war. Yet neither her obligations as future queen nor the black infestation threatening her kingdom fail to hinder the mysterious pull of the antique armoire hidden in her parents’ bedchamber. And stealing the golden key for a leap through time is the only way to confront the dark lord haunting her dreams.

One face. The image of one defiant, relentless woman has been stuck in Rhys McEleod’s head ever since he was old enough paint her luscious curves on the canvas. But the day she walks into his life off the street—sexier than hell and itching for a fight—he’s not convinced she’s the same women he’s envisioned since childhood. That is, not until he spots the golden key around her neck—an object he’d never fully shown in any of his paintings.

Now if he could just persuade his lovely muse he’s not the enemy. Unless the elusive Faedrah Austiere learns to trust him, he’ll never have her in his bed—the one place he’s convinced she belongs. (Goodreads)

Why I'm Waiting...

This won't be my first time reading something by AJ Nuest. I received The Golden Key Chronicles from NetGalley via HaperImpluse UK earlier this year and LOVED IT!! Thank god it was the bind-up edition because I'm not sure how I would survive reading one at a time and having to wait for the next one to be released...

Anyways, so when I came across this beauty on Goodreads I obviously had to add it to my TBR list! I believe this takes place after The Golden Key Chronicles, but either way I'm so excited to read this! Seriously if you like Science Fiction -> Time Travel with some romance I highly recommend giving this series a try!!

The Golden Key Chronicles

What are you waiting on?

Please feel free to leave comments & WoW links below :).

Review: Forgive Me

Click here to follow the tour!

Forgive Me

Author: Eliza Freed
Series: Lost Souls, #1
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Forever Yours
Publication Date:
Format: ebook
Pages: 280
Source: Good Choice Reading Blog Tours
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

Rating: ★★★★ . 5

When two lost souls find each other, are they still lost?

Charlotte O'Brien is lost in the devastation of her parents' death. With her foundation in ruins, she buries herself in an unlikely lover, Jason Leer.

When they're together it's everything, but when they're apart it's utterly frustrating. Can love survive when distance is measured in more than just miles?

Forgive Me is the first book in The Lost Souls Series.

(Goodreads)

Lost Souls series

Opening Lines

"My foot will bleed soon. Judging by the familiar curve in the road, I'm still at least two miles from home. Of course I end up walking home the night I'm wearing great shoes. The pain shoots through my heels as the clouds flash with lightning in the dark sky.

**WARNING: CAPS WILL BE USED**

Where do I even begin with this review? I don't even know. I read Forgive Me a couple of days ago now and I'm still trying to get my thoughts and emotions in check, thanks Eliza Freed. The minute I read the first page I was hooked. This author has a way with words, and boy does she know how to tell a story. Her description of the thunderstorm alone had me captivated, I couldn't put this down and I'm happy I finished it in one sitting. Well, happy might be a stretch of a word because I know for sure my heart, head, eyes, nose and throat are not happy with all the ugly crying and struggling to breathe. But what did I expect? Well I knew I was signing myself up for a contemporary new-adult read, but what I didn't expect was how much of an emotional roller coaster this was going to be and how much of me was going to be left sitting here with tears streaming down my face.

I know I probably sound like a broken record but this book broke my heart into tiny little pieces. I cried, I laughed, I got angry, and then I cried some more. And by the end of it all I felt like Forgive Me basically just sat there laughed at me and said "Well hey, now you have to wait until February." Seriously!? FEBRUARY?! GIVE ME THE NEXT BOOK NOW!!! Please? Pretty, pretty please with a fat juicy cherry on top? 

Charlotte is by far one a new favourite character. She's a fictional character but everything about her felt real. It takes a serious amount of talent to breathe life into your characters and Eliza Freed did that. I felt so connected to Charlotte it was almost frightening. She's been through so much and all I wanted to do was hug her. As much as I'm not a huge fan of Jason, since he can be a jerk from time to time, I really enjoyed the dynamics of their relationship. We see their long distance relationship put to the test and just when I thought everything was going to be okay, everything got flipped upside down and around! I wasn't expecting the religious aspect to things, and at first I was hesitant on how much of it would be used throughout Forgive Me. Why? Because I'm in a questionable state with my religion at the moment. But Eliza makes it work, she ties in everything and makes it alright to question your faith, love, humanity, and life itself.

What Kept Forgive Me from getting 5 stars?

Can I say the ending? No? Damn. Well then...

---

Overall, I can't express enough how heartbreaking and beautiful Forgive Me was! I only wish I didn't have to wait until February for Redeem Me, I know it's less than 3 months away but for me that's 3 months too long! Do I recommend picking Forgive Me up? Yes, I can't even express how much I want people to read it! This is seriously an underrated book that more people need to read! If you enjoy reading new adult, contemporaries, romance, a book with substance and that will make you feel things then pick this up. But you can't say I didn't warn you...

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Eliza Freed graduated from Rutgers University and returned to her hometown in rural South Jersey. Her mother encouraged her to take some time and find herself. After three months of searching, she began to bounce checks and her neighbors began to talk; her mother told her to find a job.

She settled into Corporate America, learning systems and practices and the bureaucracy that slows them. Eliza quickly discovered her creativity and gift for story telling as a corporate trainer and spent years perfecting her presentation skills and studying diversity. It’s during this time she became an avid observer of the characters we meet and the heartaches we endure. Her years of study have taught her laughter is the key to survival, even when it’s completely inappropriate.

She currently lives in New Jersey with her family and a misbehaving beagle named Odin. An avid swimmer, if Eliza is not with her family and friends, she’d rather be underwater. While she enjoys many genres, she has always been a sucker for a love story…the more screwed up the better.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Pinterest

Hosted by Good Choice Reading Blog Tours

Waiting on Wednesday (15): Resisting Her Rival

**Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights highly anticipated upcoming releases.**

Resisting Her Rival

Author: Sonya Weiss
Series: Stealing the Heart, #2
Genre: Women's Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Entangled: Bliss
Publication Date: November 17 2014
Format: ebook
Pages: 265
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

All’s fair in love and war…

Abby Snyder finally has the opportunity to expand her diner now that the building next door is available. Unfortunately, she must compete with Nick Coleman to get it. Abby—usually über-responsible—shared one night of intense passion with the playboy, and she's been trying to forget it ever since. But then Nick bets her the building that he can make her fall in love with him in thirty days.

With his reputation ruining his chances at gaining some big clients, Nick needs a way to prove to everyone that he’s reformed. Dating Abby, the most respected girl in town—and the only one he wants—is the perfect solution. Nick’s confident he’ll get Abby to fall for him, so he’ll win the building and the girl he can't get out of his mind.

But even though Abby can’t lose, resisting Nick is harder than she thought. (Goodreads)

Why I'm Waiting...

I feel like I've been waiting FOREVER for this book, but really I haven't. This is a series that focuses on different characters in each book, I believe it'll only be on three sisters Abby, Amelia, and Ann but don't quote me on that! Anyways, I read Stealing the Groom and fell in love! I gave it 5 stars and added it to my favourites list. There wasn't a single thing I disliked and I've re-read it multiple times. You can click here to see my review for Stealing the Groom.

Unfortunately, I tried to request Resisting Her Rival on NetGalley. I was so excited for it! But then I got the worst email ever, I got declined...a tear may have been shed. 

BUT I pre-order it and I'm now anxiously (and impatiently) waiting for November 17th to come!!!

What are you waiting on?

Please feel free to leave comments & WoW links below :).

Review: Raven

Click here to follow the blog tour!

Raven

Author: Pauline Creeden
Series: Chronicles of Steele, #1
Genre: YA, Steampunk, Fantasy
Publisher: AltWit Press
Publication Date: October 28 2014
Format: ebook
Pages: 332
Source: Itching For Books
Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Rating: ★★★ . 5

This is the complete Steampunk Fantasy novel - all four parts of the serial in one volume! Also includes bonus features not found in the episodes ~

Human life has value.
The poor living in the gutter are as valuable as the rich living in a manor.
The scoundrel is no less valuable than the saint.
Because of this, every life a reaper takes must be redeemed.

Raven has lived by this first tenet since she was trained by her father to become a reaper. But since his death, she’s been spending years redeeming the lives she’s taken. By her count, she’s even and it’s time for that life to end. If she settles down and becomes a wife, she might just feel human again. But on the way to the life she thinks she wants, the baron of New Haven asks her to complete a task which she cannot ignore… Just when Raven decides to give up on her life as an assassin, she’s pulled right back in. (Goodreads)

Opening Lines

“RAVEN STEELE COUNTED every footstep she chanced through New Haven with the knowledge that any could be her last. But the gamble wouldn’t last long. She quickened her pace. Only two kilometers of brownstone street stood between her and the safety of the forest.”

I always try to be 100% fair when it comes to genres, but I will be completely honest and say that I used to (okay, I kind of still do) avoid the Steampunk genre. Why? Because to be honest I don't always fully understand it. To some it's an easy concept, to others it's complex. And the most important thing is finding an author who can write and write it well! I have definitely found that in Pauline Creeden. This was my first read by her and boy was it ever interesting and intense!

We were lucky enough to receive Raven in different formats. I kept going back and forth between ebook and PDF version, the ebook version was easier to read on the go. While the PDF version I could sit and read while on my laptop and state at the detailing in the front choice, the headers for each chapter, and the design! It's so beautiful! I'm hoping that the physical copy will look like this because if it does I will buy it!!

I really, really liked the characters we are introduced to! Raven was strong, and a kick-ass kind of girl but she was vulnerable which made her more realistic and a relatable character to readers. Jack, well he's Captain Jack Grant. Although, I have to say that as much as I was somewhat rooting for Raven and Jack I'm not sure if I'm 100% team Jack. I just feel like the romance was rushed and I would have rather there been a more drastic tie in to their feelings for each other. I didn't get the ending I wanted, it wasn't a bad ending. I was just...wanting more. I don't want to give anything away, but I have high hopes for what might develop in the following book or books...please let it be books.

What kept Raven from getting 5 stars?

I chop this up to it probably being more "it's me, not you". This was difficult for me to read and I had a very hard time getting into to. It took me longer than expected to finish this (6 days) and I was just starting to get frustrated. I really wanted to invest myself into this book but couldn't do it. I think I just wasn't in the right mind set for it, but it did affect me being able to enjoy this story from beginning to end.

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Overall, Raven was a read I won't be forgetting about anytime soon. If anything, it's opened my eyes to this genre. Would I recommend Raven? Yes, especially if your lucky for a book to test the steampunk genre with. Will I be continuing with there series? YES! I can't wait until The Chronicles of Steele: Darius comes out in 2015! I know it'll focus on a different character but I'm really hoping we'll see more of some more of the characters mentioned in Raven.

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About the Author

In simple language, Pauline Creeden creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long. Pauline is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy.

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