Waiting on Wednesday #181

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

Revenge by Lexi Blake

Publication Date: June 20th, 2017

Summary-

Passion and danger collide in the latest contemporary romance featuring the Lawless siblings—from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake.

When Drew Lawless discovers a fatal flaw in his plan to avenge his parents’ deaths, he turns to the one woman he'd promised he wouldn't touch. He offers her a deal, one that will bring her into his investigation, his life, and his bed. 

Investigative reporter Shelby Gates never dreamed how twisted the case would become—or how fascinated she would be with Drew. Every day they spend together binds them. And every night brings her closer to realizing he might be the man for her. 

As Drew's feelings for Shelby grow, so does the danger. From the streets of Dallas to Austin’s high-tech business world, Drew and Shelby play a game begun twenty years before—a game they will win, or die trying.

I recently finished reading an arc of Satisfaction which is book #2 in this series and we were left with some twists. So I'm curious to see how it all ends in Revenge.

What are you waiting on? :)

Launch Day Blitz- Duke of Pleasure by Elizabeth Hoyt

Summary-

IN THE ARMS OF DANGER

Bold. Brave. Brutally handsome. Hugh Fitzroy, the Duke of Kyle, is the king's secret weapon. Sent to defeat the notorious Lords of Chaos, he is ambushed in a London alley—and rescued by an unlikely ally: a masked stranger with the unmistakable curves of a woman.

IN THE HEAT OF DESIRE

Cocky. Clever. Courageously independent. Alf has survived on the perilous streets of St. Giles by disguising her sex. By day she is a boy, dealing in information and secrets. By night she's the notorious Ghost of St. Giles, a masked vigilante. But as she saves Hugh from assassins, she finds herself succumbing to temptation.

ONE KISS WILL CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOREVER

When Hugh hires Alf to investigate the Lords of Chaos, her worlds collide. Once Hugh realizes that the boy and the Ghost are the same, will Alf find the courage to become the woman she needs to be—before the Lords of Chaos destroy them both?

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************SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT************

WICKED INTENTIONS is now FREE for a limited time!

The ebook edition of WICKED INTENTIONS, the first book in Elizabeth Hoyt’s bestselling Maiden Lane series will be FREE from November 28 through December 12!  This is a great opportunity to introduce friends to the series! On December 13 the price returns to $5.99.

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About the Author:

Elizabeth Hoyt is the New York Times bestselling author of over seventeen lush historical romances including the Maiden Lane series.Publishers Weekly has called her writing "mesmerizing." She also pens deliciously fun contemporary romances under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with three untrained dogs, a garden in constant need of weeding, and the long-suffering Mr. Hoyt.

Social Media Links:

www.ElizabethHoyt.com

www.twitter.com/elizabethhoyt

www.facebook.com/ElizabethHoytBooks

Add Duke of Pleasure to your shelf on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2cPHOG4

Review- Duke of Pleasure by Elizabeth Hoyt

Summary-

IN THE ARMS OF DANGER

Bold. Brave. Brutally handsome. Hugh Fitzroy, the Duke of Kyle, is the king's secret weapon. Sent to defeat the notorious Lords of Chaos, he is ambushed in a London alley—and rescued by an unlikely ally: a masked stranger with the unmistakable curves of a woman.

IN THE HEAT OF DESIRE

Cocky. Clever. Courageously independent. Alf has survived on the perilous streets of St. Giles by disguising her sex. By day she is a boy, dealing in information and secrets. By night she's the notorious Ghost of St. Giles, a masked vigilante. But as she saves Hugh from assassins, she finds herself succumbing to temptation.

ONE KISS WILL CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOREVER

When Hugh hires Alf to investigate the Lords of Chaos, her worlds collide. Once Hugh realizes that the boy and the Ghost are the same, will Alf find the courage to become the woman she needs to be—before the Lords of Chaos destroy them both?

Release date: November 29th, 2016

Published by: Grand Central Publishing

Page numbers: 364

Review-

Duke of Pleasure is the 11th, yes you read that right, the 11th book in the Maiden Lane series. I don't know how Elizabeth Hoyt manages to do it but each book in her Maiden Lane series seems just as unique and refreshing as the previous one. There are no repetitive plots or the same old story lines. And I do enjoy every single book she releases in this series. Duke of Pleasure was a solid good read for me.

This is the story of Duke of Kyle, Hugh Fitzroy. Hugh or Kyle as most people call him has been appointed with the task to find and finish the Lords of Chaos. They need to be put to an end so that their perverseness can be stopped and no more innocents are harmed. For this, Kyle takes the help of Alf while being rescued and attracted with the very womanly Ghost of St.Giles. What he doesn't know is that they both are one and the same. I really liked Kyle. His head and heart was in the right place. 

Then we have Alf. Alf who fools everyone into thinking that she is a boy. I have always liked Alf's character from the previous books. She is courageous and smart. She knows how to handle her circumstances. Alf really wants to help the Duke of Kyle. It doesn't help that she is extremely attracted to him. She knows the divide between them is too large but she still handled it so well.

Elizabeth Hoyt is a master of historical romances. We don't get to spend the entire book with Alf posing as a man, thank god. Alf and Kyle's story moves at a steady pace, a believable pace. They obviously share chemistry and Alf is just what Kyle needs. Kyle is hesitant to trust in his love but he is a smart man so he figures things out quickly.

I also liked how we got a nice story line of Alf with Kyle's children. I think the bond they shared was strong on its own. It was also realistic how the boys were more accepting of Alf as a boy rather than Alf as a woman. Everything turns out well in the end, obviously. We also get to see the beginnings of the next book which I am really looking forward to. This was a good read for me.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Review- She Walks, She Leads by Gunjan Jain

She Walks, She Leads on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

• Nita Ambani launched the Indian Super League, on the lines of FIFA, to boost football in India 
• Sudha Murty gave her savings to her husband, Narayana Murthy, to help start Infosys 
• Naina Lal Kidwai was the first Indian woman to graduate from Harvard Business School 
• Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw started Biocon with a seed capital of Rs10,000 
• At the age of sixteen, Sania Mirza became the youngest and the first Indian woman to win a Grand Slam 

These are some snippets from She Walks, She Leads which profiles twenty-six iconic women in modern India. These leaders tell their stories, up close and personal. Their relentless ambition to shatter the glass ceiling, their pursuit for excellence and the challenges that came their way – all of this is captured vividly in this exclusive anthology. Each chapter is based on extensive research and has never-seen-before photographs of these luminaries. The chapters are followed by interviews with their companions and close confidants who have seen them grow over the years. The women leaders profiled in the book come from different fields like banking, media, cinema, sports, fashion, philanthropy and industry.

Release date: July 27th 2016

Published by: Penguin Random House India

Page numbers: 584

REVIEW: 

While I was very much looking forward to reading She Walks, She Leads because I have previously studied and written a paper on feminism and do not miss an opportunity to read about inspiring women, I was apprehensive because it had been a long time since I read a non-fiction work and the sheer length of this book had me questioning everything. But thankfully, this book turned out to be very interesting and packed with information, inspiration and impact.

Clearly author Gunjan Jain has done heaps of research because while she has written about well-known women, there are many facts that are new and interesting to know. So while I was worried that this book wouldn't tell me anything more than what Google would be able to, there were so many aspects and points that me go "oh, is it?" And that means it was new, fresh and informative, which was the biggest plus point.

An eclectic mix of women from various fields, Gunjan Jain has interviewed and written about women in business, movies, sports and what not, so we go from Nita Ambani to Sudha Murthy to Saina Nehwal to Priyanka Chopra and the stories of each of these women and all the others are truly inspiring and nicely told. That fact that the author even interviewed people close to these women was really lovely because it gave another perspective entirely on the life of these powerful women.

In spite of its length which was the biggest problem for me, She Walks, She Leads was a nice read, both because of the structured and meticulous way in which it was written and Gunjan Jain's crisp and to the point writing. I also felt that the book focused only on well-known women, while people around you and I do their own little inspiting bit in their own way. Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend this book to those who wish to be inspired. 

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by author Gunjan Jain in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Buy the book: AMAZON

Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway- All Signs Lead Back to You by Aniesha Brahma

All Signs Lead Back to You by Aniesha Brahma

2013.

As the final bell for the day rang on their last day in school, Diya Rai, had a chill run down her spine. The chill of not knowing what the future holds for her and her high school sweetheart, Ashwin Chowdhury.
So she does a preemptive strike.
She dumps him before he can hurt her.

2015.

Two years later, Ashwin and Diya, cross paths. Each holds grudges, feelings and only one half of the story that completes them.
Told from alternating points of view, through a non-linear timeline, this is the story about
first love, second chances and ALL the SIGNS THAT LEAD BACK TO YOU.

Meet the Characters

Diya Rai – is the protagonist of the story whose actions have always had terrible consequences for those around her. Diya is self-absorbed and never chooses anyone else over her own self. Diya’s troubled past keeps her from letting people into her life. Even though she’s hurt Ashwin she wants him back in her life years later.

Ashwin Chowdhury – is her best friend in school and later on, boyfriend. He is left heartbroken by Diya but when their paths cross later on, he realises he doesn’t want anything to do with her. He lives with his mother and elder brother and hails from a upper middle-class family background.

Nina Gonzales – is Diya’s best friend in college. She and Diya had met during their admissions and had become fast friends with one another. Nina and Ashwin end up competing with one another to see who is really Diya’s best friend!

Rishabh – is the quintessential hot, rich guy that Diya dates in college. He seems to be in love with her, but Diya doesn’t seem to return the same affection towards him. Nina hates his guts.

Trina – is the girl Ashwin is interested in. She goes to the same college as Diya and Nina, and while Diya dislikes her mostly because Ashwin seems to be interested in her, Nina is indifferent to her.

Find the book on: Goodreads * Amazon

Aniesha Brahma is an author who realized her passion for writing at the tender age of six. She also happens to be the social media manager for BEE Books. Her debut novel, The Secret Proposal (2012) was published by General Press and was followed by When Our Worlds Collide (2015) by the same. She blogs at: www.anieshabrahma.com and runs an online magazine, BUZZ Magazine. She can be contacted at: aniesha.brahma@gmail.com. She lives in Kolkata with her family and her five super adorable cats!

Twitter * Instagram * Facebook 

Review

After reading and thoroughly enjoying When Our Worlds Collide, I was waiting for and really excited to read another Aniesha Brahma book. So when I heard of All Signs Lead Back to You, I knew I had to read it. While it wasn't as good as When Our Worlds Collide, I still enjoyed reading All Signs Lead Back to You, which was a cute read with a beautiful ending.

All Signs Lead Back to You is the story of high school sweethearts Diya and Ashwin, who are the exact opposites and make for a perfect pair. Diya is the storm to Ashwin's calm. Ashwin was an absolute gentleman for his character was very kind, gentle and understanding. Diya was the kind of character who loves to light a fire, but doesn't quite know how to put it off. I find it difficult to like such characters, but in some way, Diya managed to make a place in my heart, because sometimes- and I really mean, very, very few times- she reminded me at little of myself.

There were parts of the Diya Ashwin story that I really liked, like how they connect over books and can sit talking about them like they're real. That was very relatable and extremely adorable. What I didn't quite like was the sometimes very unnecessary drama that they created, but when I really think about it, they are so young and they've so much to learn, so all is fair and forgiven.

All Signs Lead Back to You was a very cute read that had its ups and downs, but was a very entertaining and enjoyable read overall. The characters were well thought of and portrayed. I could easily ignore the many typos because Aniesha Brahma's simple and lovely writing made the story very easy to understand and follow. Like I said before, I didn't like this one as much as When Our Worlds Collide, but I would still recommend All Signs Lead Back to You because it's a short, simple and sweet read.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by author Aniesha Brahma and  DDS @ B00k R3vi3ws in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Giveaway

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Review- All Signs Lead Back to You by Aniesha Brahma

All Signs Lead Back to You on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

2013.
As the final bell for the day rang on their last day in school, Diya Rai, had a chill run down her spine. The chill of not knowing what the future holds for her and her high school sweetheart, Ashwin Chowdhury.
So she does a preemptive strike.
She dumps him before he can hurt her.

2015.
Two years later, Ashwin and Diya, cross paths. Each holds grudges, feelings and only one half of the story that completes them.
Told from alternating points of view, through a non-linear timeline, this is the story about first love, second chances and ALL the SIGNS THAT LEAD BACK TO YOU.

Release date: November 18th 2016

Published by: BEE Books

Page numbers: 131 

REVIEW: 

After reading and thoroughly enjoying When Our Worlds Collide, I was waiting for and really excited to read another Aniesha Brahma book. So when I heard of All Signs Lead Back to You, I knew I had to read it. While it wasn't as good as When Our Worlds Collide, I still enjoyed reading All Signs Lead Back to You, which was a cute read with a beautiful ending.

All Signs Lead Back to You is the story of high school sweethearts Diya and Ashwin, who are the exact opposites and make for a perfect pair. Diya is the storm to Ashwin's calm. Ashwin was an absolute gentleman for his character was very kind, gentle and understanding. Diya was the kind of character who loves to light a fire, but doesn't quite know how to put it off. I find it difficult to like such characters, but in some way, Diya managed to make a place in my heart, because sometimes- and I really mean, very, very few times- she reminded me at little of myself.

There were parts of the Diya Ashwin story that I really liked, like how they connect over books and can sit talking about them like they're real. That was very relatable and extremely adorable. What I didn't quite like was the sometimes very unnecessary drama that they created, but when I really think about it, they are so young and they've so much to learn, so all is fair and forgiven.

All Signs Lead Back to You was a very cute read that had its ups and downs, but was a very entertaining and enjoyable read overall. The characters were well thought of and portrayed. I could easily ignore the many typos because Aniesha Brahma's simple and lovely writing made the story very easy to understand and follow. Like I said before, I didn't like this one as much as When Our Worlds Collide, but I would still recommend All Signs Lead Back to You because it's a short, simple and sweet read.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by author Aniesha Brahma and  DDS @ B00k R3vi3ws in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Buy the book: AMAZON

Waiting On Wednesday #180

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

At the Edge of the Universe by Shaun David Hutchinson

Publication date: February 17th 2017

Goodreads Summary:

Tommy and Ozzie have been best friends since second grade, and boyfriends since eighth. They spent countless days dreaming of escaping their small town—and then Tommy vanished.

More accurately, he ceased to exist, erased from the minds and memories of everyone who knew him. Everyone excerpt Ozzie.

Ozzie doesn’t know how to navigate life without Tommy, and soon suspects that something else is going on: that the universe is shrinking.

When Ozzie is paired up with new student Calvin on a physics project, he begins to wonder if Calvin could somehow be involved. But the more time they spend together, the harder it is for him to deny the feelings developing between them, even if he still loves Tommy.

But Ozzie knows there isn’t much time left to find Tommy–that once the door closes, it can’t be opened again. And he’s determined to keep it open as long as possible.

This book sounds interesting and unique. The premises has me curious. 

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Release Day Event- Rock Hard by Kat Austen

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Amazon AU

First loves don’t last. Especially one as unlikely and turbulent as Elodie and Caspian’s.

It’s been years since she’s seen the rough rebel she fell in love with as a teen. She’s put him behind her and moved on. That’s the story she tries to sell her friends and family, but deep down, she knows it’s a lie. She hasn’t moved on from Caspian Cruz and she probably never will, but she has to finally give up hope they’ll ever reunite.

Or does she?

When her friends drag her to a sold-out rock concert, she comes face to face with the lead singer . . . who just so happens to be the boy she fell for all those years ago.

She never thought she’d see him again. She never realized he’d made it in the music world. And she never expected him to confess that he’s been waiting for her as long as she’s been waiting for him.

What will happen when their worlds collide again? A repeat of the past or a second chance to get things right?

ROCK HARD is a short and sexy read, chock-full of excessive sweetness and heaps of filthy talking. Not for the faint or square of heart.

   My music was an extension of my soul—the tone of it a reflection of my mood. But the heart of it was him. It always had been, and I guessed it always would be.

    I was playing to a sold-out audience at one of the large theaters in Los Angeles, but at the last minute, I had changed my line-up of songs for the night. Instead of the softer fare of nocturnes and lullabies I’d planned on, I’d exchanged Chopin’s and Mozart’s most eloquent pieces for Tchaikovsky’s and Beethoven’s most heartbreaking composures. I couldn’t play light songs when my heart felt heavy. I couldn’t give the audience beautiful pieces when my world felt forlorn.

   I couldn’t play his song to an audience who wouldn’t understand.

   The last few haunting chords of Medtner’s “Night Wind Sonata” were echoing through the auditorium when I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. Chills spilled down my spine, puddling in my feet as I focused on hitting the last notes.

   The crowd’s applause exploded through the room as the final note reverberated around me. Usually I slid from the bench a few moments later, took a bow, and whisked off the stage. Tonight I felt glued to the bench, my fingers stuck to the keys.

   That strange sensation abated just enough so that I could move again, though just barely. Pulling my shaking hands off of the keys, I forced myself to rise from the bench. The audience was still applauding, starting to rise to their feet as I attempted the same.

   I’d been playing to crowds since I was six—I’d been performing to sold-out crowds around the country for the past few years—but never had I felt like this before. Trying to collect myself as I moved to the front of the stage, I concentrated on holding my composure when I’d never felt less composed. Shaking hands, wobbly legs, pit in my stomach, shivers down my spine . . . I’d experienced this kind of sensation before, but never in this kind of context.    

   I’d felt it the first time I looked at him and he looked back. The first time he’d reached for my hand and tied his fingers through mine. The first time he’d kissed me, that time after piano practice. I’d felt it a million other times, but I’d only felt it with him.

   As I took my bow—the pitch of the applause increasing as I did so—I just noticed a figure drifting out of one of the rows and moving up the aisle toward the back of the theatre. It was a man’s frame moving in an achingly familiar way.

   By the time I’d lifted out of my bow to see the crowd again, he was gone. A conjuring of my imagination. The ghost that followed me wherever I went.

   As I left the stage, I reminded myself he was gone.

Kat Austen is the secret pen name of a New York Times and USATODAY bestselling author. Kat writes short and steamy reads that leave hearts (and other parts) satisfied.

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