Review- Dirty Thoughts by Megan Erickson

Summary-

Some things are sexier the second time around.

Cal Payton has gruff and grumbly down to an art...all the better for keeping people away. And it usually works. Until Jenna MacMillan-his biggest mistake---walks into Payton and Sons mechanic shop all grown up, looking like sunshine, and inspiring more than a few dirty thoughts.

Jenna was sure she was long over the boy she'd once loved with reckless abandon, but one look at the steel-eyed Cal Payton has her falling apart all over again. Ten years may have passed, but the pull is stronger than ever... and this Cal is all man.

Cal may have no intention of letting Jenna in, but she's always been his light, and it's getting harder to stay all alone in the dark. When a surprise from the past changes everything, Cal and Jenna must decide if their connection should be left alone or if it's exactly what they need for the future of their dreams.

Review-

I had been reading some really nice reviews of the Mechanics of Love series by Megan Erickson and that is the reason I thought that I should give this series a try. Dirty Thoughts is the first book in the Mechanics of Love series. While this book didn't totally blow my mind it was a good romance and I am curious enough about the remainder of the characters to read the next books.

Let's start with Cal. Cal is a mechanic in the small town of Tory. He has always been gruff and reserved. The only person who made him feel things was Jenna, his high school girlfriend. And now she's back in town after ten years. I liked Cal. I always like the plot where the hero is from the wrong side of the tracks and Cal was exactly that. But his love for Jenna was true.

Jenna was a really sweet heroine. She has never been able to get over Cal but circumstances made her leave the last time. Now she's back for good and working with her father. I liked how Jenna treated Cal. She was always there for him even when Cal wanted to deny what was between them. I liked how she always helped Cal out without a moment's hesitation.

Cal and Jenna shared a really nice connection. They had always been there for each other even when it seemed like it would never work between them. I enjoyed their story and how they came back to each other. I also loved the relationship Jenna shared with Cal's family.

The plus point of this book was all the supporting characters we get to meet. I found Cal's jokester brother Brent hilarious and I liked Max and Asher too. I also liked Cal's father. I am curious to see how Brent's story goes in the next book. Dirty Thoughts was a nice read by Megan Erickson.

Waiting on Wednesday #148

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories edited by Stephanie Perkins

Expected publication: June 14th 2016

Goodreads Summary:

Maybe it's the long, lazy days, or maybe it's the heat making everyone a little bit crazy. Whatever the reason, summer is the perfect time for love to bloom. Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories, written by twelve bestselling young adult writers and edited by the international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins, will have you dreaming of sunset strolls by the lake. So set out your beach chair and grab your sunglasses. You have twelve reasons this summer to soak up the sun and fall in love.

Featuring stories by Leigh Bardugo, Francesca Lia Block, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Brandy Colbert, Tim Federle, Lev Grossman, Nina LaCour, Stephanie Perkins, Veronica Roth, Jon Skovron, and Jennifer E. Smith.

This collection sounds very cute and has stories by some awesome authors, so I'm sure it'll be enjoyable. 

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Book Blitz- Fire Trilogy by Devika Fernando

Check out the contest alert below

BOOK ONE : PLAYING WITH FIRE 

If you’re playing with fire, prepare to get burned – or to fall in love.

Sparks fly when Felicia and Joshua meet. Discovering her inner fire and unleashing unimaginable powers makes her realize that all her life, she has been hiding her true self. When buildings burn and people are in danger, the tempting game of playing with fire becomes serious. Will their love and desperate struggle for control save her life, or will the fire magic turn itself against its mistress?

Available Free at Amazon

BOOK TWO : DANCING WITH FIRE

When a fire witch and an ice wizard flee to Iceland to build a new life, they never expect the one thing that could tear them apart – Kyle, adding his own magic into the mix. Felicia starts questioning everything they have. She is torn between the man who loves her but is her polar opposite, and the man who attracts her but means nothing but trouble. 

As if her confusing emotions weren’t enough, Felicia finds her life turned upside down when a terrifying natural disaster threatens the end of the country and the entire world. 

Will she be able to control her gift and play the part that is expected of her? Will she give in to temptation or will she save the world? 

BUY @ AMAZON (COM) | AMAZON (IN)

BOOK THREE : LIVING WITH FIRE

When a fire witch and an ice wizard flee to Iceland to build a new life, they never expect the one thing that could tear them apart – Kyle, adding his own magic into the mix. Felicia starts questioning everything they have. She is torn between the man who loves her but is her polar opposite, and the man who attracts her but means nothing but trouble. 

As if her confusing emotions weren’t enough, Felicia finds her life turned upside down when a terrifying natural disaster threatens the end of the country and the entire world. 

Will she be able to control her gift and play the part that is expected of her? Will she give in to temptation or will she save the world?

BUY @ AMAZON (COM) | AMAZON (IN)

AN EXCERPT - FROM LIVING WITH FIRE

Joshua was gaping at her, his mouth opening and closing silently like a fish out of water. There was a sudden increase in icy coldness, and he froze into a statue, his face now expressionless and his eyes drawn and unfathomable as always when he was deeply distressed or too emotional for his own good. “Can you hear yourself? You sound like some fatalistic, maniacal sect member or the leader of a dangerously foolish occult movement,” he said with that unnerving, neutral calm of his. To cover up the disappointment and hurt and anger at his reaction, Felicia threw her head back and laughed coldly, mirthlessly. She tossed her hair over one shoulder, stood up straight and stared into his eyes. “Thanks for the suggestion. I think I’d rather like that. An occult movement revolving around the power of fire. I’ll be the terrifying fire goddess ruling mercilessly, with everyone falling at their feet and offering me their heart on a platter. I’ll make the world burn until it puts the sun to shame. Want to stick around and watch, snowman?” As soon as the words had left her mouth, she wanted to take them back. What had she just said? This wasn’t her, this wasn’t normal, this wasn’t right! This was her Joshua she was wounding and repelling…and yet, she would not take the words back. Didn’t she have every right to behave like this? The choice is yours. Rise and shine. Go out and rule! The voice inside her mind was so powerful she half thought she had spoken the words out loud. Beside her, Kyle was cackling and clapping his hands, and her fire dragon was turning cartwheels a little ahead. There was so much heat around her, inside her. It needed out.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Almost as soon as Devika Fernando could write, she imagined stories and poems. After finishing her education in Germany and returning to her roots in Sri Lanka, she got a chance to turn her passion into her profession. Having lived in Germany and in Sri Lanka with her husband has made her experience the best (and the worst) of two totally different worlds - something that influences her writing. Her trademark is writing sweet and sensual, deeply emotional romance stories where the characters actually fall in love instead of merely falling in lust.

What she loves most about being an author is the chance to create new worlds and send her protagonists on a journey full of ups and downs that will leave them changed. She draws inspiration from everyone and everything in life. Besides being a romance novel author, Devika is a faithful servant to all the cats and dogs she has adopted. When she's not writing, she's reading or thinking about writing.

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Review- Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Goodreads Summary:

"What do you want from me?" he asks. What I want from every person in my life, I want to tell him. More.

Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham, now seventeen, is finally being confronted with her past. But as the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm, there isn't a lot of time for introspection. And while Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to family, has disappeared, Jonah Griggs is back in town, moody stares and all.

In this absorbing story by Melina Marchetta, nothing is as it seems and every clue leads to more questions as Taylor tries to work out the connection between her mother dumping her, Hannah finding her then and her sudden departure now, a mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her ear, a boy in her dreams, five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen years ago, and the maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her better than she thinks he does. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future. 

REVIEW:

I am tempted to say that Tanja forced me to read Melina Marchetta's Jellicoe Road. I am also tempted to say that she bullied me into reading it. But I won't say it. Because after Tanja read a few books that I recommended her, it was about time that I gave Melina Marchetta, an author Tanja swears by, a try. And trust me, Tanja knows her stuff. Don't ever mess with her. Don't ever doubt her. Because one point that is absolutely clear to me now is that Tanja will recommend books that will make you cry and in the end, those are the best books. 

It wasn't easy for me to get into Jellicoe Road. The story is confusing as hell, and there were times when I had no idea what I was reading but I just kept reading because, 1) I had to do this for my girl who 2) kept motivating me to go on with it. But even if I didn't have reason number two, I would have still continued reading because Melina Marchetta created magic with her writing and just the flow of words had me wanting to turn the pages. The confusing shift between past and present was difficult to understand at first, but once I got the connection between the two, it became incredible. 

I guess with books like Jellicoe Road, it's not so much about understanding as it is about feeling. And I felt. I am unable to pinpoint exactly what I felt, but I felt that pull in my heart that made me want to hug the characters. It was towards the last 15% of the book that I really got into the story and started feeling, but that's okay, because those last few chapters were so damn stunning. So even though 85% is huge, I forgive it, because the last bit was where everything came together, all dots were connected and life went on. 

So to conclude, I will just say that Jellicoe Road is difficult to understand and confusing to read, but you don't you dare give up, because there are very few books that bring tears to your eyes, and this is one of those books. While I do not love this book as much as Tanja and Glass do, I still want to thank them both for making me read it. You girls owe me now. But first, thank you. Thank you for making me read this heart-breaking yet fulfilling story about what matters the most- family and roots. 

Don't forget to check out Tanja and Glass' reviews of the book. 

P.S: There is so much more I wanted to say, but for now, this should be enough. 

RATING: 

Review- Love on 3 Wheels by Anurag Anand

Goodreads Summary:

What Happens When Love and Destiny Come to Loggerheads?
Love on 3 Wheels is a saga of love, lust, aspirations and trickery that unfolds over a period of three days, propelling those in its midst into an unmindful frenzy.
Sargam:
A young and ambitious girl misplaces a parcel purportedly containing a large amount of cash. This sets off a turn of events that are certain to leave their imprint on the lives of many.
Sharib Sheikh:
An auto rickshaw driver whose fault is that he fell in love with the wrong person at the wrong time.
Dr. Abhigyan Kukreti:
A prominent doctor who has more skeletons in his personal closet than a mid-size cemetery.
Ameena:
A simple village girl who, like Sharib, finds herself at the wrong end of love.
Junaid:
A swindler with his heart in the right place.

A Real Love Story that is bound to make your heart skip more than a beat! 

REVIEW:

Having previously read and thoroughly enjoyed Anurag Anand's Where the Rainbow Ends, I was really looking forward to reading Love on 3 Wheels, which turned out to be very interesting and enjoyable. 

The story of five very different people; in this book, we get into the heads of each of these characters from the point of view of the third person while at the same time, we follow the events that take place on December 28 and 29. The alternate character and story narration was well done. A narration like this can end up being confusing, but in Love on 3 Wheels, we get as much lead into the character as into the story itself, which was refreshing and riveting, because both were necessary to really understand everything. 

Speaking of the characters, we have Sargam, who is a decent and hardworking girl; Sharib, an auto driver who is very respectful; Abhigyan, doctor by profession who isn't what he appears to be; Ameena, who will do anything to get the man of her dreams fall for her like she has fallen for him; and finally Junaid, who will do anything- absolutely anything- for his mommy dearest. 

All the characters were developed and portrayed nicely. The best part was that each character was shown in such a way that it was both easy and difficult to both love and hate her/ him. Love on 3 Wheels interconnects the lives of these five characters in the most interesting way possible. Each of them is either at the right or wrong place at either the right or wrong time; it depends on perspective. 

Deep down, this book speaks about much more than just connecting threads. It takes up contemporary issues that makes one think if what happens with the characters is really what they deserve. It talks about karma and justice, making the story very meaningful. The only disappointment was what became of the character I was rooting for. While it did seem that some characters didn't get what they deserved, it all made sense nonetheless. 

Overall, hardly 160 pages long, Love on 3 Wheels is an entertaining, enjoyable and very interesting tale that intermingles the lives of five people and that was portrayed in a gripping way. 

*A copy of Anurag Anand's Love on 3 Wheels was provided by Srishti Publishers and Distributors in exchange for an honest review. We thank the publishing house and Anurag for the book! 

RATING: 

Blog Tour: Guest Post + Giveaway- The Madras Affair by Sundari Venkatraman

GRAB YOUR COPY @ AMAZON.COM TWEET THE PIC CONTEST USING #TMA

The Madras Affair 

by 

SundariVenkatraman 

Blurb:

Sangita Sinclair was not always this successful & passionate lady, heading the NGO “Penn Urimai” for downtrodden, abused and homeless women….

When Sangita catches the eye of Gautam Sinclair she is a simple, homely girl; utterly unaware of her charms & capabilities. She has the devil’s own time in overcoming her inhibitions, hesitation, and her family’s orthodox and outdated rules before recognising her love for Gautam.

Will Gautam be able to solve Sangita’s Dilemma or will she be forever trapped in her past?

Meet Gautam: 

Gautam has an Indian mother and American father. Built like a giant, he has brown hair and brilliant blue eyes. 

Gautam lives with his maternal grandparents in Besant Nagar, Madras. He used to run a business with his father in Washington DC. Giving up his high-flying career, he chooses to teach at Loyola College in Madras. Yeah, Gautam had fallen in love with the city in Tamil Nadu during his visits to his grandparents. 

Despite his American upbringing, he’s comfortable living in the same house as his grandparents. And does he love teaching! 

He’s attracted to Sangita at first sight and pursues her relentlessly. 

Read The Madras Affair to find out if he’s able to get together with the love of his life. 

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What Reviewers Say:

Guest post:

Five reasons why readers should pick up The Madras Affair

Hi Sarika,

Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog. Here goes… why one needs to read my book:

The Madras Affair is the story of Sangita and Gautam. Sangita is a widow who’s barely twenty-one; with a little son and is from an orthodox family. The story is set in 2000 Madras. Having grown up in Madras, I know how the people living there are as eclectic as they come. Actually they are typically Indian. We find women walking around our streets in Kanjeevaram saris as well as shorts. That’s how diverse our lives are. And that’s what makes us all the more fascinating as a people.

Sangita and Gautam are from two such families. They couldn’t have come from more different backgrounds. But then, Gautam is Yang to Sangita’s Yin. I can’t think of a better recipe for a romance.

The story also highlights a few issues in society. No, I don’t set out to preach, so please don’t expect a moral lecture. I have just brought together some characters and situations that are extremely probable. Sangita had been a victim of marital rape. This is an issue that’s seldom addressed. Even her parents don’t want to acknowledge that she could be having a troubled marriage.

We have this attitude of ticking our life achievements: A girl child is born. She grows up with a lot of restrictions. She’s given education though the ultimate aim would be to get her married to a well-settled guy from a good family (with a huge dowry thrown in). Then it’s time for her to have a child; she’s nagged no end if she doesn’t get pregnant within a year or two. Point to be noted here is that it’s always the woman’s fault even if science says differently. Then once she has a baby… the cycle continues since generations.

If, unfortunately, the husband dies, all hell breaks loose. It’s her fault of course. My heroine is different though. She simply refuses to mourn her husband’s death. She’s honest that way.

And I was keen to turn Sangita’s life into something positive. That’s where Gautam steps in.

A problem brings a solution along with it. And that’s why I have created a romance that shows one way in which the problem gets sorted. 

I have always loved reading fiction and most of my knowledge of people and places has been garnered from reading stories set in different parts of the world. As one reads a book, the knowledge seeps in without appearing like boring studies. Well, let’s face the truth, studies and exams are boring though important to enhance our lives. If knowledge can be acquired through fiction that is fun to read, can you think of a better way to learn?

Meet SundariVenkatraman:

Growing up on a heavy dose of fairy tales and comic books, Sundari fell in love with the ‘lived happily ever after’ syndrome. It was always about good triumphing over evil and a happy end. 

     

Soon, into her teens, Sundari graduated to Mills & Boon romances. And that got her thinking – how about such breezy romances in Indian settings? Her imagination took flight and she always lived in a rosy cocoon of romance over the years. 

     

Then came the writing – a true bolt out of the blue! Sundari had just quit her job as a school admin and was taking a break. She was saturated with reading books. That’s when she returned home one evening after her walk, took some sheets of paper and began writing. It was like watching a movie that was running in her head – all those years of visualising a perfect Indian romance had to be put into words. The dormant romantic storyteller in her finally found its calling and The Malhotra Bride was born. While she felt disheartened when publishing didn’t happen, it was her husband who encouraged her to keep writing. 

   

 In the meanwhile, she landed a job as copy editor with Mumbai Mirror. After working there for two years, she moved to the Network 18 Group and worked with two of their websites over the next six years, as content editor. 

    

 Despite her work schedule, she continued writing novels and short stories and had them published in her blogs. She also started blogging voraciously, writing on many different topics – travel, book reviews, film reviews, restaurant reviews, spirituality, alternative health and more. 

    

Her first eBook Double Jeopardy – a romance novella – was published by Indireads and has been very well received by readers of romance.  

    

In 2014, Sundari published The Malhotra Bride (2nd Edition); Meghna; The Runaway Bridegroom; Flaming Sun Collection 1: Happily Ever Afters From India (Box Set) and Matches Made In Heaven (a collection of romantic short stories) in form of ebooks.

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Review- I Wish You Were Mine by Lauren Layne

Summary-

A year ago, Jackson Burke was married to the love of his life and playing quarterback for the Texas Redhawks. Now he’s retired, courtesy of the car accident that ruined his career—and single, after a nasty scandal torpedoed his marriage. Just as he’s starting to get used to his new life as a health and fitness columnist for Oxford magazine, his unpredictable ex shows up on his doorstep in Manhattan. Jackson should be thrilled. But he can’t stop thinking about the one person who’s always been there for him, the one girl he could never have: her younger sister.

Mollie Carrington can’t say no to Madison. After all, her older sister practically raised her. So when Madison begs for help in winning her ex-husband back, Mollie’s just glad she got over her own crush on Jackson ages ago—or so she thought. Because as Mollie reconnects with Jackson, she quickly forgets all her reasons to stay loyal to her sister. Tempted by Jackson’s mellow drawl and cowboy good looks, Mollie is sick and tired of coming in second place. But she can’t win if she doesn’t play the game.

Review-

I had really enjoyed the first book in Lauren Layne's Oxford series so even though the blurb sounded just okay for I Wish You Were Mine I was looking forward to it. I think this is one of the least enjoyable Lauren Layne book for me. I always enjoy her writing but there were things in this one that just did not work for me.

Let's start with Jackson. Jackson was a former quarterback but due to his accident he can't play any more. On top of that he's divorced his wife who claims that he cheated on her. Plus Jackson can't stop thinking about his ex-wife's sister Mollie. I just didn't like Jackson. First off, we didn't know him at all in any of the previous books so I had no affection for him. To top it off I hated his attitude towards the Oxford peeps. It does change by the end but still.

Mollie was a sweet heart in comparison to Jackson. She has always kinda been in love with him but with him being married to her sister its a big issue. Still Mollie has always found a confidante and friend in Jackson. I sometimes thought that Mollie was extremely naive in thinking that her sister was a good person. It was borderline stupid. I got her feelings for Jackson but again, she may be a  bit too forgiving.

Jackson and Mollie's friendship is always present. They have been there for each other in tough times but when Mollie needs a place to live and Jackson offers her a room things start heating up. I liked the connection Jackson and Mollie shared but there were just waaay too many things I didn't like to enjoy their story completely.

The best parts about this book were when we got to see all the previous couples and of course, Lincoln Mathis. I actually kept on reading the book for all their hilarious conversations and only tolerated the parts with Mollie and Jackson. This book just had way too many pet peeves of mine for me to enjoy it. I Wish You Were Mine was an okay read for me.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author/publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Book Blitz- A Bucket Full of Awesome by Zainab T. Khan

A Bucket Full of Awesome
by Zainab T. Khan
Release Date: February 14th 2015

Summary from Goodreads:

"You know, Blake, even though we all know that cancer is a heartless dragon who wants to take everything and everyone into its fiery pit, we still fight with it. We still hope. And we clash again and again with its fire, and even though we get burned, we don't accept defeat. Humans are the most fragile yet the strongest beings on earth." 
"And they are the most stubborn." 
I laughed, "Right. They are stubborn." 

* 
Summer Wallace is a wild, crazy girl who simply couldn't care less about her appearance. She strongly believe in the saying, "You Only Live Once", in teenage subculture also known as YOLO. She plays basketball like her life depends on it. Well, it sort of does, she loses one game and there's a dent in her ego, not a small one either. 

Meet Blake Walker, her best friend and her partner-in-crime. Although he is just like his childhood best friend in acting-like-a-kid department, he can be a bit saner than her. Though, at times, he can be crazier than her. But a day changes both of their lives which leads Summer to make a bucket list and complete it before her whole life takes a 180 degree. Whereas, Blake is determined to keep her as long as he can. And he is perfect for the job. After all, he knows her more than anyone else. And they have no room for regrets. As Summer Wallace says, "There shouldn’t be any space for regrets in our beautiful lives.” 

Buy Links: Amazon│Barnes & Noble│iBooks│Kobo│Createspace Paperback

About the Author:

 I'm Zainab, a 16-year old faux writer. You can say that I'm more of a reader than a writer. Meg Cabot would be my favorite young adult author. The forty rules of love by Elif Shafak and Making faces by Amy Harmon would be my all-time favorite  books.  Favorite  fictional boyfriends would be Jesse de Silva, Maxon Schreave, Adrian Ivashkov and Flynn Ryder.  
Update (14/07/15): David 'Tag' Taggert replaces all the four guys. Okay, not replaces but he is definitely my dream guy.

Now back to real life, I'm a student in high school and English and Culinary Arts are my favorite courses. It was due to Once Upon a Time the TV show that I stumbled upon the art and the magic of writing. Somehow, among all this, I ended up a publishing a book. I'm working on a new book currently, hoping to publish it by Fall 2015. 

I would like to mention here that English is not my first language, so I request all my readers to excuse me whatever mistakes and errors I make in my writing, though I try to give you the very best version.

Author Links:    

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