Cover Reveal- Smoldering by Tiffany Aleman

Hello, guys! I have a cover reveal post for you today, hosted and presented by Literati Author Services. Let's see what's in store for you! 

Title: Smoldering 

  Author: Tiffany Aleman 

  Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance 

  Publication Date: July 7, 2014 

  Cover Design: Lori Hall-Underwood 

  Event Organized by: Literati Author Services, Inc.

Synopsis:

Money ~ Power ~ Fame Kelsey Connor Growing up in the arms of one of the wealthiest families in America, I lived a champagne lifestyle and never wanted for anything. That life came with stipulations... 1. Marry the man I don't love. 2. Make my parents proud. I left my Manolos and fancy apartment behind and fled that life to find out who I really was. Someone unexpected bulldozed my life. Riley Jackson He was the man everyone, including me, wanted, but his future was one I wasn't sure I wanted to thrust myself back into. And when he chose a career over the family business, his family supported him instead of pushing him away. My past collided with my future. I didn't see it coming. If I had I would've ran far, far away. Now I'm stuck in the same position I started in two years ago, except this time, the decision is not mine to make. Loyalty to your family? Loyalty to your own happiness?   Which would you choose?

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About the Author:

Tiffany is twenty-eight, a mother to two wonderful kids, married to her best friend, and lives in Georgia. She's always held a passion for writing and loves, loves, loves to read. A lover of all things outdoors, when she's not writing you can find her out at the beach with her family and friends, watching a good movie, or reading a book.

Connect with the Author:

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Thank you for stopping by! 

Review- Happenstance by Jamie McGuire

Goodreads Summary:

Erin Easter, one of three Erins in the small senior class of rural Blackwell High School who not only share a first name, but also their birthday. Erin Easter, raised by a neglectful single mom, keeps to herself and admires Weston Gates from afar. The other Erins, Erin A. and Erin M. are the darlings of the community: daughters of the two wealthiest families in town, best friends, cheerleaders, and everything Erin Easter isn't--and they never let her forget it. Erin A. has even claimed Weston since the 8th grade.

Weston is a well-liked star athlete, and the son of two prominent attorneys. He struggles daily with the pressures of living up to his family name and secretly empathizes with Erin Easter's feeling that she belongs somewhere else; in a different life. Not until he begins sneaking nights out with Erin does he gain the courage to buck expectations and acknowledge his feelings ... both for his future, and for her.

But when a shocking tragedy rocks the tiny town, Erin's life is turned upside down in the best way possible. But when the truth is revealed and everything Erin thinks she wanted falls into her lap, life only becomes more complicated.

REVIEW:

I was a little sad to know that Jamie McGuire wrote a novella that wasn't about Abby and Travis, but at the same time, I was very happy to know that Jamie McGuire wrote a contemporary novella anyway. I've been a fan of the author since I read and loved to bits Beautiful Disaster, Walking Disaster and A Beautiful Wedding, so obviously, I was pretty excited to read Happenstance, which for me, was an absolutely great novella that I ended up loving. Not as much as the Beautiful series, but I loved it nonetheless. 

Being a novella, I don't really feel the need to delve into the story as one thing will lead to another and I might just end up saying more than necessary. All I'll say is that the novella is both a light read and a serious story at the same time. There are aspects to it that will make one feel all cute and cuddly, and at the same time, certain aspects that'll make one feel disappointed and depressed. It's full of emotions and Jamie McGuire portrays her characters and their situations in such an impeccable manner that it's hard not to feel with them whatever it is they are feeling. 

When it comes to our protagonists, Erin, the female protagonist, was a really nice and sensible girl who has been through a lot and her tolerance and strength make her an amazing person. The hero in the novella, Weston, was an absolutely wonderful person whose company I thoroughly enjoyed. A sprinkling of other both fantastic and not so fantastic characters, the immense importance given to family and a warm small town set-up make Happenstance a very cute story. 

I would say that Happenstance falls somewhere in between Young Adult and New Adult, in the sense that it will be enjoyed by readers of both genres. The lightheartedness make it a simple and sweet read but the focus on self-identity and self-discovery appear to make it lean more towards a mature and serious path. Anyhow, all that aside, Happenstance is a lovely read for when you're in the mood for something light that has you thinking about it long after you put the book down. I'm looking forward to all that's next in the series.  

RATING:

Review- Angel's Blood by Nalini Singh

Summary-

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she is the best- but she does not know if even she is good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, Elena knows failure is not an option—even if the task is impossible. 

Because this time, it's not a wayward vamp she has to track. It's an archangel gone bad. 

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other—and pull her to the razor's edge of passion. Even if the hunt does not destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just might. For when archangels play, mortals break.

Review-

I am a huge fan of Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series so I was really excited to get started on her Guild Hunter series. Nalini Singh is one of my favorite authors with her complex characters and story lines and Angel's Blood did not disappoint. Nalini Singh's take on angels and vampires is very unique and I loved the world.

Elena is a vampire hunter. She isn't just a vampire hunter by choice,she is hunter born which helps her in tracking vampires through their scent. Elena is hired by the archangel Raphael which just complicates things. I loved Elena. She was a kick ass heroine who still had her vulnerabilities. I also found her whole tracking by scents thing really unique. The scent descriptions were simply beautiful.

Now it is no surprise that I love every single one of Nalini Singh's heroes from her Psy-Changeling series but Raphael was in a league of his own. Unlike the good guys he was actually portrayed as a negative character who slowly regains his humanity or at least a parts of it because of Elena. I loved how slowly we saw different facets of his personality. He definitely won me over by the end.

Raphael and Elena have chemistry. This was a completely forbidden relationship but both Elena and Raphael knew what they were getting into since the beginning. There was loads of action which brought home the point that everything is not picture perfect in their world. It was all very well done.

I also loved how we get to meet a few of Raphael's Seven who are his trusted men. I hope each and every single one of them gets a book of their own. There are also games of politics being played among the archangels which gives the book a strong plot. I am definitely very happy with the solid start to this fantastic series.

Review- Love Kills by Ismita Tandon

Summary-

‘The fat constable on duty brought to my attention a sketch. Every tiny detail of the murder scene was on paper: the wilted orchids placed across her midriff, the knife balanced precariously on the low table and her dreamy eyes…’ 
You won’t live a boring life if you’re named after a whisky (more or less).

Meet Johnny Will, named thus by an alcoholic father who died under mysterious circumstances. Johnny is the founder of Thy Will – a de-addiction centre for the rich and the famous that uses very questionable methods – and the fiancé of Mira Kermani, daughter of the richest man in town.

The beautiful young Mira dies of an overdose of morphine. Officer Ray is convinced that Johnny is the killer. Johnny’s assistant Sera, who secretly loves him, and his half-brother Zac are working hard to protect him from the officer. Or are they? Could Aunt Adele’s hunger for what was rightfully her son’s inheritance have driven her to murder? Or is the murderer an unhappy patient? 

From the author of the disturbing and controversial Jacob Hills, an unputdownable story of crime and passion in the hill-station town of Monele.

Review-

Every now and then I am very much in the mood to read a good murder mystery and Love Kills was just that. I have previously read Jacob Hills by Ismita Tandon and know that she is a fantastic author so of course when I got a chance to read Love Kills I went for it. Love Kills was an amazing read which kept me guessing through out. 

Johnny Will is the founder of Thy Will which is a de-addiction centre. I found Johnny's character to be the most intriguing in the bunch. He has had an alcoholic father who was not faithful to his wife. His half brother Zac and aunt whose intentions are unknown for the most part are present in Johnny's life. Johnny's way of treating his patients was definitely not traditional and we can see him sitting on the line between good and bad.

Then we have Mira who is murdered with an overdose of morphine. She was Johnny's fiance. Adding to this is Johnny's secretary Sera who is secretly in love with Johnny. This cast makes for the suspects in Mira's murder. As and how the story progresses we find out that each person has a hidden agenda of his own and things are definitely not as they seem.

I was completely reeled in as soon as I started reading. Love Kills is set in a small town with rich people with an eerie back drop. It goes on from various point of views so we get an all around view of what's happening with Officer Ray who is leading the investigation. I was really trying to guess who the killer may be but when the truth came out I honestly didn't see it coming.

Love Kills is dark and gritty. It touches the dark side of human emotions with twisted minds and greed. If you are looking for a good murder mystery which will probably keep you up all night in the hopes of figuring out what actually happened, look no more. Love Kills is the perfect read for you!

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

Waiting on Wednesday #90

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

Then Came You by Jill Shlavis

Publication Date: July 1, 2014

Summary-

From the New York Times bestselling author of Rumor Has It and the Lucky Harbor series comes the story of a woman whose world is turned upside down by one night's torrid fling...

Veterinary intern Emily can’t believe she wound up in the small town of Sunshine, Idaho, instead of the Los Angeles clinic she had always imagined. Now she has to put her plans to move to L.A. on hold for a whole year while she fulfills the obligation of her vet school scholarship.

Then Wyatt, her gorgeous one-night stand from a Reno vet conference, introduces himself as her new boss. And Emily is just as drawn to his seductive looks and quiet strength as she was on that very steamy night. She soon learns that Wyatt isn’t just a laid-back doctor, but a delicious alpha male tempting her away from her carefully laid-out plans...

Its Jill Shalvis, of course I'm reading it!

What are you waiting on?

Top Ten Tuesday #31

Top Ten Tuesday is a bookish meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. 

Today's topic is:

Top Ten Books on my Summer TBR-

My picks are:

  

  

  

  

  

What are your picks?

Review- The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Goodreads Summary:

Set in the Gulf Stream off the coast of Havana, Hemingway's magnificent fable is the story of an old man, a young boy and a giant fish. In a perfectly crafted story, which won for Hemingway the Nobel Prize for Literature, is a unique and timeless vision of the beauty and grief of man's challenge to the elements in which he lives.

REVIEW:

Ernest Hemingway is such a famous name in English literature and that in itself was enough for me to decide to read at least one of the author's works. I am glad to be taking my goal to read some literary classics seriously. When I picked The Old Man and the Sea to introduce myself to Hemingway, I was ready for a deep, thought-provoking and philosophical read that would make me contemplate because that is what literature does. I wouldn't say that the book didn't induce any of it at all, I would just say that it wasn't up to a very great extent. 

I read the 2013 revised edition of The Old Man and the Sea and for an author whose works have been so highly appreciated and who has been an inspiration for plenty of writers, I wasn't impressed at all with the writing. It was very simple and easy to understand. It's not like I'm not okay with that. Simplicity in writing actually makes a book easy to read. However- and this might have just been an edition or reprint mistake- there were too many editorial errors and typos which frustrated me to no end.

The Old Man and the Sea can be interpreted in various ways. For me, it was a story about the struggle for life and it was about hope. Santiago, the old fisherman, is well aware of his poor state after not having caught a single fish for a very long time, and at the same time, he knows that he has to go out there to earn his daily bread. He sleeps on a pillow made up of his trousers and a stack of newspapers. When the young boy, Manolin, offers him food and drinks, it looks like Santiago feels ashamed to accept it and he makes up stuff about how he has food stored. However well Santiago tries to hide his weakness, it's right out there for the reader to see. 

The end of the book is where it gets a little philosophical as Santiago manages to catch the biggest fish in the sea which is destroyed by a shark that ultimately makes Santiago hate the damn shark. The feelings and thoughts that Santiago develops towards this fish of his portray his character and the soft comparison between the two tells a lot. Santiago has a battle with himself as he finds himself talking loudly when alone at sea and that shows how lonely a man he is which makes his work, his life. That's all he does and he proves himself by going from being a fisherman who couldn't catch a single fish for eighty four days to someone who succeeds at what he knows so well. 

Ideally, I would have liked to think more before writing my review and I will think over the book, but at the same time, I don't really want to think about it because it could get very, very profound. The ending was unclear and I have a theory about it but it might actually complicate matters more for me. The Old Man and the Sea wasn't as epic as I expected it to be and there were many points in it that put me off. I would have really liked the book had I read it when I was younger (like most people have) but I wouldn't have got it back then. It's not like I've got it now, but I could at least perceive it in a few ways. 

RATING: