Promo Post- Officer Off Limits by Tessa Bailey

OFFICER OFF LIMITS BY TESSA BAILEY

Title: OFFICER OFF LIMITS (LINE OF DUTY #3)

Author: TESSA BAILEY

Release Date: JUNE 10, 2013

Imprint: BRAZEN 

SYNOPSIS:

“His need to possess her is non-negotiable. 

Story Brooks’ fiancé just called off their wedding two weeks before the happy day. As if that isn't bad enough, her semi-estranged father, an infamous NYPD hostage negotiator, has suffered a heart attack. Not wanting to examine her lack of emotion over the broken engagement, she hops on a plane to reconnect with her father before it’s too late.

Playboy hostage negotiator Daniel Chase has never, not once, been refused by a woman, so when a debate over hospital snack foods with a delectable kindergarten teacher ends in flat-out rejection, he makes it his mission to seduce her. His only obstacle? She’s the daughter of his mentor who implicitly forbade Daniel from pursuing her.

Despite her father’s warnings and Daniel’s troubled past, Daniel and Story can’t resist their intense attraction to one another. But when the reason for her fiancé’s abrupt wedding cancellation comes to light, can Story and Daniel's already forbidden relationship survive?”

GOODREADS

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

GIVEAWAY:

 $50 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review- Secrets and Saris by Shoma Narayanan

Summary-

A secret that could cause scandal!Jilted at the altar, Shefali Khanna should be humiliated. Instead she takes the opportunity to start again. Top of the priority list: do not tumble headfirst into another relationship!

But even moving from the city to the country can't keep Shefali out of trouble—especially when she catches the eye of local celeb Neil Mitra! There is no way she can risk a scandal already! He might be gorgeous, but he's totally off-limits…right?

Extra bonus: included is The Wedding Dress Diaries by Aimee Carson, the prequel to our fab new quartet!

Review-

I haven't read many Harlequin Kiss books, just one in fact and I really enjoyed it so I thought I would give Secrets & Saris a try as well. This is not the first book of author Shoma Narayanan I'd read as well. I had enjoyed Monsoon Wedding Fever so I had some good expectations from Secrets and Saris. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

In spite of the cute cover and fresh look the story line was just way too flaky for me to like it. Shefali Khanna has been jilted at the altar. After facing the humiliation from her friends and family she decides to move to a small town to start things over and sort things out. On her flight there she meets Neil, whom she dismisses as just another hot guy whom she has no use for now.

I just couldn't warm up to Shefali. I get that she was going through a horrible time but she was outright rude to Neil in the beginning. It did change after wards but then her indecisiveness irritated me. She came off as flighty and she herself didn't know what she wanted. The same could be said for Neil. The whole time they're together supposedly having their fling, they both keep changing their minds way too fast for me.

Neil didn't have any special qualities as such. At least none that I could see. He has a daughter who was very sweet. But I hated his whole take on marriage and having more children with Shefali after they got married. It was unfair. I don't think Shefali completely accepted his daughter as her own till the end though she had a good relationship with her. The worst part was that even after the book got over the issues weren't really sorted.

The book was extremely short with the bonus prequel novella taking up 40% of the book. The Wedding Dress Diaries was a cute novella, but again, it was way too short to actually find any satisfaction in it. Still, Shoma Narayanan is a good author so I'd recommend trying her Monsoon Wedding Fever instead of Secrets & Saris. This was an okay read for me.

Just Read Read-a-thon: Link- Up & Sign- Up Post

Hey, all! 

Just like you, we too have a never ending TBR pile. 

And just like you, we are dying to read many, many books! 

So, Janhvi and I, along with our blogging buddies Ankita @ Booklok Coffee and Krazzy Me or KM @ Young Reader, have come up with the idea of starting a Read-a-thon which is called as the JUST READ READ-A-THON or JRREADATHON in short. 

The Read-a-thon will begin on June 10 and last for a week until June 17.

The mail goal is... READ READ READ! 

Read as many books as you can and try to take control of your TBR! 

Anyone can take part. You are all welcome to join us! 

Bloggers, make sure you sign up using the Linky below (at the end of the post).
For the others, just leave us a comment letting us know you'll be joining us.
Also, make sure you join in the updates and fun on Twitter by following-
@ankita0112, @kadburytweets, @justjanhvi and @SarikaP8 and using the hashtag #JRREADATHON.
Grab the button below as well!

Thank you to our fellow bloggers Ankita and KM for this great idea and welcome to all our new participants!

Thank you for stopping by and happy reading! 

Author Interview + Giveaway (IN Only)- The Homing Pigeons by Sid Bahri

Welcome to an amazing Author Interview and Giveaway post that we have for you. 
On the blog today, we have with us author of the most beautiful Indian Contemporary I've read until now, Sid Bahri.
Thanks to Sid and Nimi @ The Readers Cosmos, there's also a great IN only giveaway for the Sid's book, The Homing Pigeons.... 

Read my review of The Homing Pigeons... by Sid Bahri

You can check out and read more about The Homing Pigeons... at the following links: 

Official Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Flipkart / HomeShop18 / Infibeam 

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

Hello, Sid. Welcome to The Readdicts! We are extremely glad to have you on our blog and we hope you have a great time answering our questions. 

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. 

 Sid: I am this half bald man who is trying to make a living by writing books. I gave up a corporate career  to follow my passion of writing. I was equally insane when I moved to the hills of Ranikhet, giving up the comforts of a city and a job that paid very well. Yet, that is what I am - eccentric and happy.

2) Tell us a little about your debut novel, The Homing Pigeons... 

 Sid: The Homing Pigeons is a love story but it isn't a mushy romance. It's poignant but also witty and humorous. It's easy to read, yet its deep.  Its everything that I would want to read in a book. 

3) How did the idea to write The Homing Pigeons... come up? 

 Sid: The Homing Pigeons wasn't written to be published. I started writing this book in 2008 but it wasn't the book that its come out to be. It was just Aditya's story then. The book went into cold storage for about four years and the pigeons refused to fly. I revived the book in early 2012 and I knew what I wanted to write by then. For me, writing was a refuge from working a job that I absolutely hated. 

4) Are Radhika and Aditya or any of the characters in your book inspired by anyone you know in real life or are they completely based on your imagination? 

 Sid: I don't think that fiction writing is all imagination. It's a thought, an incident, an overheard conversation or an experience that overgrows in the author's mind. It translates into words to form a book. It's the peripherals that come in from imagination and not the real stories. And to answer your question, the characters are an amalgamation of various people that we may have come across in our lives. I can't pin-point a single person that my characters are inspired by. 

5) Looking back at Radhika and Aditya's past, have you ever wished that life wasn't so difficult with them? Or do you feel it was necessary for them to go through everything they went through to see the strength of their love? 

 Sid: In the perfect world, they would've dated after school, gone to the same college, worked in the same job, married and made babies. But, we don't live in utopia. I think what I've attempted to do is to make the book as real as possible. I might even have overdone the drama but I think it was important to justify the emotion of love.

6) Do you believe in the phrase, "Homing Pigeons always come back to their mate, no matter where you leave them on the face of this earth"? 

 Sid: Of course - Puneet, my wife and I knew each other from school. She was 9 and I was thirteen then. We lost touch but married fifteen years later. Sometimes, you just have to believe in destiny. 

7) If The Homing Pigeons... were to be made into a movie, which Bollywood actress and actor would you like to see being cast as Radhika and Aditya? 

Sid: I would love to see Aamir Khan essay Aditya's role - not because he fits the character but because he's the only actor who can lend depth to that  character. Radhika, then would have to be Kajol or Rani Mukherjee.

Aamir Khan (top), Kajol (bottom left) and Raji Mukherjee (bottom right).

8) What advice would you to give to young aspiring Indian writers? 

 Sid: I am not sure if I can advise anyone yet. I am barely starting out and there's a long way to go. But, yes, I would want to say that don't lose sight of your goal. The journey to seeing your name in print is fraught with hardships. Don't give up.

9) On a more personal level, who are some of your favourite authors and what are some of your favourite books? 

 Sid: I like to read Ken Follett, Jeffrey Archer and John Grisham but my favorite has to be Kathryn Stockett. The Help is one of the most remarkable novels that I have read and its influenced me a lot. 

10) What is next in line for you? Have you thought of writing more books? 

 Sid: I wasn't writing to get published, so even before I had signed my first contract, I had three and a half novels completed. One of them has seen the light of day and one of them will never see the light of day. The other one and half are at various stages of completion. So hopefully, we'll have someone willing to take the rights for them.

Thank you so much for for answering our questions and for you time, Sid. It was a pleasure to have you at The Readdicts and we hope to see you around soon. Wish you all the very best for everything ahead.

GIVEAWAY:

Enter below for you chance to win a copy of The Homing Pigeons...

*The giveaway is INDIA only (Sorry, INT readers!).

*Enter by filling out the Rafflecopter form and if it doesn't load, click here.

*After a winner is picked, they will have 48 hours to respond or else, we'll be compelled to pick another winner.

*The book will be shipped by the author/ publisher. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Once again, I'd like to thank Sid for coming over on our blog today and for having the amazing giveaway. 

Thank you all for stopping by and may the odds be ever in your favour!

Happy reading! 

Review- My Everything by Heidi McLaughlin

Goodreads Summary:

When Nick Ashford lost his friend, Mason, he didn’t realize he was going to lose his family as well, but that’s exactly what happened. Alone and in a foreign country, Nick is working on rebuilding his life one patient at a time, that is, until a striking volunteer makes her presence known.

Can Nick finish his year in Africa without risking his heart being broken again, or is he willing to start a new chapter in his life before his return to Beaumont?

REVIEW:

Heidi McLaughlin's My Everything is a novella in the Beaumont series. I absolutely loved the first book in the series, Forever My Girl (my review of which can be read here).  

My Everything is the adorable story of Nick Ashford. Nick had a huge crush on Josie, was her partner for many years and helped bring up her kid with Laim, Noah. After Liam got back to Beaumont and things between him and Josie started getting bright, Nick knows he has no chance and he sets out to do some volunteer doctor work in Africa. Africa is where Nick meets his sweet, beautiful and sexy (just as he describes her) wife, Aubrey.

I am not a huge Nick fan. When I met him in Forever My Girl, I wasn't very fond of him. I thought he was being forceful with Josie about marriage and he was just trying to steal Liam's girl  but in his story, you realise he is just trying his best to keep Josie safe and he really cares about her. 

Aubrey and Nick's relationship seemed to go really fast and it was hard to figure out exactly where and how the two decided that they were good for each other. Yet, the two seem perfect for each other and you can't help but feel happy that Nick has finally found peace and love and that Aubrey is willing to take care of him and give him everything. When they get married and come to the States, Nick is dying to meet Noah and Aubrey makes sure that happens. 

That's where Josie and Liam also come into the picture and it was amazing to see the two together again. I know this novella is about Nick, but Josie and Liam are so cute, I was excited to meet them again. Josie and Liam share a beautiful relationship and although it's difficult for me to look beyond them, I must admit that after My Everything, it's hard to not adore Aubrey and Nick as well. But the best relationship in this novella was between Nick and Noah. The two of them made a strong team and they share a wonderful bond. 

Even though the novella didn't make much sense to me, author Heidi McLaughlin has rightly given Nick a sweet story and an happy ending, which he truly deserves after all the hurt he's been through. My Everything was not necessary but it was a sweet read nonetheless and much appreciated before the next book, My Unexpected Forever comes out. 

RATING:

Feature & Follow Friday #42

Feature and Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.

Today's question is:

Q: Have you broken up with a series? If so which one and why?

My answer:

I've read a few firsts in a series and not gone back to it simply because I wasn't interested in knowing what happens. 

A major series I'm on the verge of breaking up with is House Of Night by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast. 

God... Each book takes place over the span of a day or a week at the most. As much as I hate giving up, I can't keep up with it. The series is just not getting over and that really puts it off for me. 

What series have you broken up with? 

Follow us and we'll follow back!

Happy Friday and happy reading! 

Review- Existence by Abbi Glines

Summary-

What happens when you're stalked by Death? You fall in love with him, of course.

Pagan Moore doesn't cheat Death, but instead, falls in love with him.

Seventeen year old Pagan Moore has seen souls her entire life. Once she realized the strangers she often saw walking through walls were not visible to anyone else, she started ignoring them. If she didn't let them know she could see them, then they left her alone. Until she stepped out of her car the first day of school and saw an incredibly sexy guy lounging on a picnic table, watching her with an amused smirk on his face. Problem is, she knows he's dead.

Not only does he not go away when she ignores him, but he does something none of the others have ever done. He speaks. Pagan is fascinated by the soul. What she doesn't realize is that her appointed time to die is drawing near and the wickedly beautiful soul she is falling in love with is not a soul at all.

He is Death and he's about to break all the rules.

Review-

I picked up Existence by Abbi Glines because it was free on Amazon. I am an Abbi Glines fan. But I was hesitant to read a paranormal from her after her brilliant new adult series. Sadly my doubts came true. I didn't enjoy Existence as much as I wanted to. It was an okay read.

Pagan Moore has been seeing souls her entire life. They always seem to find her and she can't do anything about it so she ignores them. That is, until a soul starts speaking to her. She can't help being fascinated by him. What she doesn't realize is that he isn't a soul but death himself who's come for her appointed time.

I liked Pagan. She was fine. Her situation with the souls was different for a while but then I just lost interest. There wasn't much keeping me occupied in the book. I didn't like it when Pagan was judge mental of Leif before knowing a thing about him. She strings Leif all along when the poor guy says he loves her even though she's falling for Dank.

It was kind of cheating which I hated. Pagan was very indecisive which made her seem a little immature. I liked the aspect of the whole forbidden romance between Pagan and Dank. They had chemistry but there was no real reason behind them loving each other. I liked Pagan's friends. They just wanted the best for her and they were very true.

The ending of Existence was a cliff hanger which I did not expect. It was frankly unnecessary. The romance did not hold the same charm for me as the other Abbi Glines book do. It was an okay book but if you're new to Abbi Glines I would definitely recommend skipping this series and starting on one of her new adult ones.