Waiting on Wednesday (14): Love, In Spanish (LIE, #2)

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

Love, In Spanish

Author: Karina Halle
Series: LIE, #2
Genre: New Adult, Romance
Publisher: Karina Halle
Publication Date: November 11th, 2014
Purchase: Amazon | Kobo

The companion to the highly emotional, scandalous and USA Today Bestselling love story - LOVE, IN ENGLISH - is finally here! Love, in Spanish is a lengthy Love, in English follow-up novella of about 50K words, told from Mateo Casalles' POV. Love, in Spanish touches on some events that happened in Love, in English (you know the ones!) while expanding on Vera and Mateo's "happily ever after." Note: It should be read after Love, in English and it is mostly new material (aka not just rehash of LIE).

***

“She sat beside me on the bus – and she changed my whole life.”

Successful, wealthy and absurdly handsome – Spanish ex-football player Mateo Casalles seemed like he had it all. A high-society wife, an adorable little girl, and flashy apartments in Madrid and Barcelona only sweetened the deal. But there was more to Mateo than met the eye – a life of uncertainty and regret that colored his black and white world.

That was until Vera Miles came into his life like a shooting star. Tattooed, wild and young, Vera seemed like Mateo’s polar opposite at first. But you can’t choose who you fall in love with and the two lost souls did everything they could to be together, all while suffering the grave consequences.

Now with Mateo divorced and living in Madrid with Vera, there is a whole new set of challenges and setbacks facing the couple and rocking the foundation of their star-crossed relationship.

Unfortunately for them, the brighter the star, the faster they burn.

***Love, in Spanish contains the first two chapters of Where Sea Meets Sky, a full-length Love, in English spinoff starring Vera's brother, Josh Miles, coming March 2015 from Atria Books*** (Goodreads)

Why I'm Waiting...

FINALLY!!!!!!!

Words can't even explain how excited I am for this!!! I need more Mateo in my life! I have a feeling this one will have my heart breaking into a million little pieces...

What are you waiting on?

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

Review: My Guardian Angel

My Guardian Angel

Author: Evangelene
Genre: Romance, Suspense
Publisher: Evangelene
Publication Date: April 7 2014
Format: PDF
Pages: 140
Source: Book Enthusiast Promotions
Purchase: Amazon

Rating: ★★★. 5

Kassia Preston, a best selling author whose a bit of recluse, but who could blame her after what had happened to her all those years ago. Thankfully, her brother Darios and her friends Genna and Tara had always been there for her. One day in Darios' gym, she meets Jason. He's young, fit and mouthwateringly sexy. Kassia is drawn to him, not only because of his looks but because of something else, something indescribable.

Jason Theroux, a young SWAT officer has his own demons that he keeps hidden deep inside.

What happens when these two broken souls get together? Will they be able to survive their past and forge a new future? Or will their demons begin to threaten their relationship, destroying it completely? (Goodreads)

Opening Lines

"The wind was howling, as the heavy rain hammered at the windows, making them rattle. I was lying on my bed with my blankets barley covering my eyes. As I looked out the window, a bright flash of light came across the dark sky. The lightening lit my room only for a few seconds and then vanished just as quickly. A loud thunderous clap followed making me jump."

Can I just saw that I LOVE the cover for My Guardian Angel? I love how dark and mysterious it is, and honestly it was what drew me into reading the synopsis for this book.

One of my favourite things about My Guardian Angel would have to be the opening chapter. It was so strong and descriptive! The perfect way to start off a book, once I read that I was hooked! I read this in one sitting just waiting to see how this story would play out.

It's obvious that Kassia and Jason are attracted to each other but they both try to resist it. Deciding to become friends we quickly see that line start to blur. Both Kassia and Jason experience something in their past that continues to haunt them and when they meet each other at Darios gym and start to hangout things really start to unravel! I love how suspenseful this really was, I was worried this would end up being an erotica novel that lacked plot and character depth but that was not the case! My Guardian Angel kept my attention right up to the end!

Another one of my favourite parts was the Epilogue at the end from Jason's perspective. I really wish we had more chapters from his POV! There were so many times that I kept trying to figure out what was running through Jason's mind.

What kept My Guardian Angel from getting 5 stars?

• At times I felt there was a bit a character flip flop with Kassia and Jason, it bothered me and made me have whip lash while I was trying to figure out their character. There just didn't really seem to be consistency in terms of their behaviour and how they're perceived. 

• I quickly became tired of all the  "Junior", "Granny" and "your old" comments through out My Guardian Angel. I get it, there's an age difference but I feel like it was mentioned and joked about more times then it was necessary. 

• ! - There were way too many escalation marks throughout this book. Did Darios, Jason, and Kassia really yell that much?

Overall, My Guardian Angel was an suspenseful read! I really enjoyed this one and recommend it to readers that want a good amount of suspense mixed with romance. This is defiantly one I will be re-read sometime soon.

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Evangelene was born and raised in Montreal Canada. She currently lives with her husband who at times drives her nuts. She has been studying Classical Civilization and Linguistics at Concordia University for over ten years. The pull of the ancient world was too great for her to let go, so she continues her education to feel closer to the world she identifies with.

She reads nonstop, devouring books like its food, loving the feeling of being lost in a world that another author has created.

Evangelene started writing her stories ten years ago to express and bring to life all the wonderful characters that inhabit her imagination. She writes for herself and invites readers to join her journey.

Links: Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

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Review: Eyes On You

Eyes On You

Author: Kate White
Series: Standalone
Genre: Suspense, Mystery
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: June 24th, 2014
Format: ebook
Pages: 258
Source: Edelweiss
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Chapters | Kobo

Rating: ★★★★

A Los Angeles Times "Best of Summer" Read

From New York Times bestselling author Kate White comes a riveting psychological suspense in which a media star must battle a malevolent enemy who may be disturbingly close to her.

After losing her on-air job two years ago, television host Robin Trainer has fought her way back and now she’s hotter than ever. With her new show climbing in the ratings and her first book a bestseller, she’s being dubbed a media double threat.

But suddenly, things begin to go wrong. Small incidents at first: a nasty note left in her purse; her photo shredded. But the obnoxious quickly becomes threatening when the foundation the makeup artist uses burns Robin’s face. It wasn’t an accident—someone had deliberately doctored with the product.

An adversary with a dark agenda wants to hurt Robin, and the clues point to someone she works with every day. While she frantically tries to put the pieces together and unmask this hidden foe, it becomes terrifyingly clear that the person responsible isn’t going to stop until Robin loses everything that matters to her . . . including her life. (Goodreads)

Opening Lines

“The shoes had made a nasty dent in my paycheck, but I wasn’t sorry I’d splurged. They were Chanel, black-textured with a peep toe and a gold zipper up the back, really more of a booty than a stiletto. And not what you’d ever call “Fuck me” shoes-there was nothing about them that would make a guy want to bed you, unless he was the type who liked a razor-sharp heel at his throat.”

Finally getting around to writing some reviews for books I read earlier this year, as you can see I read this back in June. Better late than never, right?

When I first read the synopsis I was definitely intrigued. But my first thoughts were, "Wait. Kate White? Doesn't she write those self-help kind of books?" Close but no. I had no idea that she wrote a variety of different books until I came across Eyes On You on Edelweiss. Once I started reading I just didn’t want to put the book down! You know the board game Clue? Well I felt like my Clue senses were tingling! I kept trying to figure out who was after Robin. I was torn between two characters at around 35% but then by 70% I knew for sure who it was but that didn't deteriorate me.

What kept Eyes On You from getting 5 stars?

At times I found myself I little confused with Robin’s narration. At certain points I couldn’t tell if she was making a statement or questioning something, which often had me going back a page and re-reading trying to figuring it out. But I’ve chalked this all up to the fact that it’s an advanced ebook copy and there will most likely be changes by time it was published.

Overall, Eyes On You was a great mysterious read that kept me on my toes. I was so eager to get to the end, even when I guessed who the culprit was. I look forward to read more by Kate White, I noticed that she has two books coming out next year. I hope they're suspense novels!!!

Review: Blocked

Blocked

Author: Jennifer Lane
Genre: New Adult, Sports, Romance
Publisher: Psyched Publishing
Publication Date: Oct 21 2014
Format: ebook
Pages: 300
Source: ATOMR Promotions
Purchase: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★

College freshman Lucia Ramirez has a secret crush on Dane Monroe. He’s a tall drink of water — blond, brash, and one hell of a volleyball player. ¡Híjole! Lucia hopes her volleyball scholarship to his school will make him notice her.

Too bad what’s noticeable is Dane’s obvious hatred for Lucia. Her family’s politics contradict everything he stands for. And politics are front and center in both their families. Dane’s mother is about to face Lucia’s father in the race for US President.

When Secret Service throws them together, Dane can’t deny his frustrating attraction to Lucia’s athletic curves and sweet faith in the world. Amid the intense pressure of college athletics and presidential politics, can opposites not just attract, but overcome overwhelming odds to be together? Or do their differences block their match from the start? (Goodreads)

Opening Lines

"As I plopped down on the bleachers and scanned my new teammates around me, one word came to mind: heaven. I wasn't the tallest girl in the gym for the first time in my eighteen years on earth."

It is actually so hard to write a review for this book without giving anything away! For some reason the idea of Dane's mother and Lucia' father running for president made me hesitant to read this at first. I don't know why, but I wasn't sure how that would really be written in a way that readers could find it realistic. I didn't really know what to expect when I started this, I was really looking forward to reading something with sports playing a high role but was nervous about the election/politics. I will say this, the synopsis does NOT prepare you for the different issues Dane and Lucia encounter throughout Blocked.

We get to see this story from Lucia and Dane's perspective, which makes this story 10 times more enjoyable! I don't think I would have enjoyed this as much if this was only written from Lucia's point of view. Both character were amazing! I felt I could really relate and connect with them, especially Lucia, her insecurities made her real and easy for young readers and athletes to connect to. Their relationship was perfect! It gradually built and there was no cringe worthy insta-love. Now the secondary characters, I wanted more parts with Maddison, China, Allison and Brad! I only wish we got to see more of the friendship side of things.

Why is this not a series? I'm just going to sit her and continuously chant "SERIES!!" until it happens. On second thought, scratch that I might be here for awhile. With all the great characters we are introduced to I would love to read their stories and of course have a little Dane and Lucia in the background! Blocked made me laughing, shake my head and giggle at Lucia's awkward/embarrassing/but cute moments at the beginning with Dane, cry when things got tough, and smile at how everything played out.

The ending. OMG, I loved it!! This was the ending I wanted but didn't think I would get. Yes, I can understand why some readers might not be a fan of it but it makes the most sense and it's just a perfect tie up to everything that took place in Blocked.


What kept Blocked from getting 5 stars?

Don't let this list foul you! I'm a picky reader and the smallest things will jump out at me. These are somethings that I kept thinking about and I'm probably the only one that had a questioned it.

• Situation overload!! - Although it all worked out in the end, I felt there were too many different things/topics covered in this standalone. Between Lucia's issues, Dane's issues, and their family  issues it just seemed like a lot of things crammed into one, mind you it did all work out in the end!
• VP, where are you? - Now I know that Lucia's father and Dane's mother are running against each other for US President but unless I missed it, which I'm pretty sure I didn't, there wasn't a single mention or indication about a Vice President. Uh, I found this to be kind of odd. 
• Behind the scenes - I felt like there was a lot of things that happened that we didn't know about until it's mention as an after thought. For example, when Lucia talks to Dane's Coach. Moments like this had me scrolling back thinking I missed something. 

Overall, Blocked was an awesome self discovery and coming-of-age read! This was filled with great characters, amazing character development and excellent writing. I wish this was released in paperback because this is a book I want sitting on my bookshelf! I recommend this to all Young-Adult and New Adult readers!

Giveaway!

- $15 Amazon Gift Card

- eBook of BLOCKED

- BLOCKED cover cookie

- BLOCKED bookmark

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About the Author

Get psyched for romance with psychologist/author (psycho author) Jennifer Lane! By day she witnesses growth in her psychotherapy clients, and by night she wrangles misbehaving fictional characters as she writes sports romance and romantic suspense with a psychological twist. She can’t decide which is more fun.

A swimmer and volleyball player in college, Jen wove some of her own experiences into Streamline—a military mystery about swimmers. And readers can dip their toes into Jen’s world of swimming romance by sampling her free New Adult novella Swim Recruit.

College volleyball romance Blocked is Jen’s newest release, launching 10-21-14. Peek inside big-time college sports and even bigger national politics when the offspring of two presidential candidates find out whether opposites really do attract, or their match is blocked from the start.

Stories of redemption interest Jen the most, especially the healing power of love. She is also the author of The Conduct Series, a romantic suspense trilogy that includes With Good Behavior, Bad Behavior, and On Best Behavior. Ultimately, whether writing or reading, Jen loves stories that make her laugh and cry.

In her spare time she enjoys exercising, attending book club, hanging out with her plus-size, “I’m not fat, I’m big-boned” Izzie cat, and visiting her sisters and their families in Chicago and Hilton Head.

Links: Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook