Review- War and Pieces: Season 1, Episode 1 (Frayed Fairy Tales) by Tia Silverthorne Bach, Ferocious 5 and N.L. Greene

War and Pieces on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there were zombies...

That's how it all started. Authors have created a major problem with stories like Cinder, The Dark Queen, and Asleep, and it's wreaking havoc here in Ever After. Our queens are fighting for their lives.

Rather like Mother Nature, keeper of the fine balance that's life in your world, tales that begin with "Once upon a time" were never meant to be messed with.

Now, Ariel is underwater with all the defenses she's been launching, Aurora hasn't slept in weeks, and Rapunzel is tangled in... Well, I can't even begin to tell you.

Rather than try, I'll let you see for yourself. You and I will talk again afterward--if I survive long enough. So, as our fateful story begins:

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away... 

Release date: April 24th 2017

Page numbers: 36

REVIEW: 

I, very randomly, stumbled upon War and Pieces which is a collection of episodes based on the fairy tales we have all been hearing since childhood. I love reading fairy tale retellings and I really admire it when they are given new twists and turns. That was the exact same case with War and Pieces, which was a gripping and fun read.

For a book that's barely a few pages long or short, the story was really well written and had me on the edge of my seat because every time something calm and cool from one part of the story was happening, I wanted the more exciting part from the other story to come up. This is the story of sisters Rose and Snow who also happen to be very gorgeous and lovely princesses.

The fact that the story focused more on Rose, and especially her very personal thoughts and desires made it extremely interesting, because I instantly developed a liking for the warm, kind and gentle princess who seems like such a normal person. She's daring, and yet, there's a part of her that's always watching out for what's going to happen.

The way this book ended was abrupt but cool, yes, but I really need more of these fun and interesting episodes, because they make for great short reads. I am genuinely looking forward to seeing what happens next in Rose's life.

Waiting on Wednesday #195

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

We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan

Publication date- June 13th 2017

Goodreads Summary:

From two acclaimed authors comes an emotional story told in verse about friendship, love, and overcoming unbeatable odds.

Authors Brian Conaghan and Sarah Crossan have joined forces to tell the story of Nicu and Jess, two troubled teens whose paths cross in the unlikeliest of places.

Nicu has emigrated from Romania and is struggling to find his place in his new home. Meanwhile, Jess's home life is overshadowed by violence. When Nicu and Jess meet, what starts out as friendship grows into romance as the two bond over their painful pasts and hopeful futures. But will they be able to save each other, let alone themselves?
For fans of Una LaMarche’s Like No Other, this illuminating story told in dual points of view through vibrant verse will stay with readers long after they've turned the last page.

I read and loved Sarah Crossan's One, so I am so looking forward to this one. I'm already preparing myself for an emotional roller coaster. Besides, I love reading collaborations because they're fun and it's like reading two books in one, so yes, I'm definitely excited for this one! 

What are you waiting on this Wednesday? Let me know in the comments!

Release Blast- Walk of Shame by Lauren Layne

The City's HOTTEST Cold War is here!

WALK OF SHAME

a Love Unexpectedly novel

Lauren Layne

Releasing April 18th, 2017

Loveswept

Sparks fly between a misunderstood New York socialite and a cynical divorce lawyer in this lively standalone rom-com from the USA Today bestselling author of Blurred Lines and Love Story.

Pampered heiress Georgianna Watkins has a party-girl image to maintain, but all the shopping and clubbing is starting to feel a little bit hollow—and a whole lot lonely. Though Georgie would never admit it, the highlights of her week are the mornings when she comes home at the same time as her uptight, workaholic neighbor is leaving to hit the gym and put in a long day at the office. Teasing him is the most fun Georgie’s had in years—and the fuel for all her naughtiest daydreams.

Celebrity divorce attorney Andrew Mulroney doesn’t have much time for women, especially spoiled tabloid princesses who spend more time on Page Six than at an actual job. Although Georgie’s drop-dead gorgeous, she’s also everything Andrew resents: the type of girl who inherited her penthouse instead of earning it. But after Andrew caps one of their predawn sparring sessions with a surprise kiss—a kiss that’s caught on camera—all of Manhattan is gossiping about whether they’re a real couple. And nobody’s more surprised than Andrew to find that the answer just might be yes.

Lauren Layne is the New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen romantic comedies.

A former e-commerce and web marketing manager from Seattle, Lauren relocated to New York City in 2011 to pursue a full-time writing career.

She lives in midtown Manhattan with her high-school sweetheart, where she writes smart romantic comedies with just enough sexy-times to make your mother blush. In LL's ideal world, every stiletto-wearing, Kate Spade wielding woman would carry a Kindle stocked with Lauren Layne books. 

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Teaser Tuesday #70

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B of A Daily Rythm. Anyone can play along!

I want to say it. I think he wants to kiss me too. 

But what if he doesn't?

"I want... a wine cooler" is what I finally say instead. 

He nods. Pulls back. Pulls me to my feet. "Then let's find you one."

-How to be Bad by E. Lockkart, Sarah Mlynowski and Lauren Myracle 

Goodreads Summary:

Three bestselling authors--E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski, and Lauren Myracle--bring you on the road trip of a lifetime in this dynamic novel packed with fun, friendship, and feminism.

Jesse, Vicks, and Mel each has her own reason for wanting to get away from their nowheresville Florida town. Add in a hot (and harmless) hitchhiker, an impending hurricane, and a close encounter of the gator kind, and the result is one sizzling road trip where the journey is far more important than the destination. Now in a fresh new package, How to Be Bad will take even more readers along for the ride. 

What teaser have you shared this week? Link me up to it! I'd love to take a look. 

Happy Tuesday, and happy reading! 

Release Blitz- The Hot Shot by Kristen Callihan

       

First we were friends. Then we were roommates. Now I want more…

What can I say about Chess Copper? The woman is capable of bringing me to my knees. I know this about five minutes after getting naked for her.

No one is more surprised than me. The prickly photographer my team hired to shoot our annual charity calendar isn’t my usual type. She’s defense to my offense, a challenge at every turn. But when I’m with her, all the regrets and darkness goes away. She makes life fun.

I want to know Chess, be close to her. Which is a bad idea.

Chess is looking for a relationship. I’ve never given a woman more than one night. But when fate leaves Chess without a home, I step up and offer her mine. We’re roommates now. Friends without benefits. But it’s getting harder to keep our hands off each other. And the longer we live together the more I realize she’s becoming my everything.

Trick is… Now that I’ve made her believe I’m a bad bet, how do I convince her to give this player a true shot at forever?

AMAZON | iBooks | B&N | KOBO | Paperback

FINN

  She sits quietly as I eat, and shakes her head when I offer her a sandwich section. Because I’m hungry, and because I don’t like the idea of her having to wait for me to eat, I wolf down my food. The brownie follows with a few, quick bites. Wiping my hands on a napkin, I set the plate and empty can on a side table, and then let out a contented sigh. “Thanks. I needed that.” Her smile is small and quick. “I should have fed you as soon as you got here.” “I’m good now.” Chess braces her hands on the seat and leans forward to watch her feet as we slowly rock the swing. Silence descends, thick and awkward, and for the first time in her presence, I’m at a loss for words. I don’t know this girl. Not really, and yet I’ve inserted myself into her life with a determination I usually reserve for winning games. Except I have no endgame here. I told her I want to be friends. But how does that work for us? Our friends and lives couldn’t be any more different. Parties for me are self-congratulatory events, filled with people whose one focus seems to be bolstering my ego, followed by me searching for a quick hookup. And my friends are all part of football in some way. We talk football or sports. It’s a narrow focus life, but it’s my comfort zone. That chafes too, knowing I live a life that seems wild and free to outsiders but is actually small and structured on the inside. The silence has stretched too long. I should go. But I don’t move. If I go, I know it will be the end of whatever this is. Embarrassment will have me avoiding seeking her out again. Likely, she’ll do the same. And that will be that. The knowledge sits like a stone on my chest. “I’m sorry about my friends,” Chess says. “They can be uncomfortably brazen.” “So can mine.” I shrug. “Your friends are…fun.” Her lips pull tight. “They can be. But they were definitely giving me—and by extension—you shit tonight.” She bites her bottom lip. “I don’t think they know what to make of you.” “So I wasn’t imagining things.” “’Fraid not.” The novel sensation of being a fish tossed into the wrong pond grows. I’ve taken away Chess’s fun by coming here, and I’m sorry for it. “I shouldn’t have asked you to come here,” Chess says in a low voice. She’s only echoing my thoughts but the stone sitting on my chest pushes harder against my ribs. Chess makes a small sound, as if she’s trying to laugh but can’t. “Parties suck when you arrive halfway through and don’t know anyone.” “I know you,” I point out quietly. She turns and the porch light illuminates her face. Green eyes met mine and hold, as a slow, true smile curls over her cherry lips. Something inside of me shifts and slides. I want to kiss Chester Copper. Haul her onto my lap and make out with her like we’re teenagers hiding out at our parents’ party. But that’s not what she invited me here for. “I wanted to see you,” she confesses in that husky morning voice that goes straight to my cock. She turns away and stares out into the darkness. “It’s weird, you know? But hanging out with you was so unexpected it kind of felt like I imagined the whole thing.” I know exactly what she means. My hand settles next to hers, close enough that our pinkies touch. That small point of contact sparks along my skin, makes me want to move closer. I hold steady because I don’t trust myself not to act. “I wanted to see you too,” I tell her. “It’s been a long fucking day.” I hadn’t planned to admit that, but it feels good to tell her. Chess eases back against the seat and then curls her fingers over mine with a light squeeze. The unexpected touch holds all my attention. It’s nothing more than a simple offer of comfort, and here I am twitching in my seat as if she’d cupped my dick instead. I’m in so much trouble here because this woman is getting to me in ways I don’t know how to navigate. But I don’t pull away. Not one fucking chance of that. Chess speaks, pulling me attention back to our conversation. “So tell me about it.” I can’t remember the last time anyone asked me to tell them about my day. Likely, no one ever has. So I do. And with every word that leaves my mouth, a little bit more of my stress eases. No, I don’t yet truly know Chess. And yes, our lives are different. But there’s no way I’m ending this. Because when it’s just her and me, everything else falls away. I’m not going to let myself forget that again.    
    

 

Kristen Callihan is an author because there is nothing else she’d rather be. She is a three-time RITA nominee and winner of two RT Reviewer’s Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and the Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by many reviewers. Her debut book FIRELIGHT received RT Magazine’s Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal , best book of Spring 2012 by Publisher’s Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she is not writing, she is reading.

WEBSITE / FACEBOOK / TWITTER / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Review- Just One Night by Lauren Layne

Summary-

Riley McKenna knows sex—good sex, bad sex, kinky sex…Her articles inStiletto magazine are consistently the publication’s most scandalous—and the most read. But Riley has a secret…all that sexy talk? Not an ounce of it comes from personal experience. Her own bedroom escapades are more limited than even her best friends know. When her editor requests that all columnists write something more personal for Stiletto’s anniversary issue, Riley turns to the one man she’s always been able to count on and calls in the favor of a lifetime.

Sam Compton would do anything for Riley McKenna. Anything except be her experimental sex toy. He refuses her request. At least until she tells him that it’ll either be him or she’ll go to someone else. And that, Sam can’t accept. Reluctantly he agrees to her terms—one night of completely meaningless sex in the name of research. Riley thinks she’s prepared for what awaits her in Sam’s bed. After ten years of writing about sex, actually doing it shouldn’t be that different, right? So wrong. What starts as “one time only” becomes “just one more time.” And then one more. And before they know it, Riley and Sam learn first-hand that when it comes to love, there’s no such thing as just one night.

Release date: April 22nd, 2014

Published by: Loveswept

Page numbers: 240

Review-

Just One Night is the third book in Lauren Layne's Sex, Love and Stiletto series. I flew through the first two books in the series and I was super curious to see how Riley's story with Sam would turn out. While I cannot say that Just One Night is my favourite book in the series, it was still a really good read and especially if you enjoy friends to lovers romance this one will be a hit.

Riley is the girl who writes about sex in her columns for the Stiletto magazine. She is a beautiful bombshell and the closest thing that comes to perfection. But what anyone doesn't know is that all this about knowing everything about sex is just a façade. Riley genuinely is very inexperienced all because she's hung up on her brother's best friend Sam who can't see her as a woman.

I really liked Riley. She was fun and I loved how determined she was to get Sam to notice her. She made Sam want to believe in himself and I loved her confidence. Sam on the other hand, was a little difficult for me to like. Not because he was a bad hero or anything but because he refused to let himself believe that Riley and he could last. He also felt that he was completely unworthy of her and it was easy to see his reasons behind it.

Sam and Riley were combustible together. They had been friends since ten years and all that pent up frustration and energy was just waiting to come out. I loved how Riley was so open in her feelings about Sam and though it took Sam some time to get around to it he was very protective and possessive of Riley.

I also adored Riley's family. They were a big protective bunch who had taken Sam into their fold a long time ago. Sam just had some realisation to do. I also enjoyed seeing Julie and Mitchell and Jake and Grace again. I REALLY want to know what's going on with Emma and Alex. Just One Night was a good read.

Review- Love the One You're With by Lauren Layne

Summary-

As a leading columnist for Stiletto, Grace Brighton has built a career warning women about rotten, cheating liars. She just never suspected her fiancé would be one of them. After Grace takes a heart-mending hiatus, her first assignment is to go on a couple of dates with a counterpart from the men's magazine Oxford and report her impressions. Grace 1.0 may have been instantly smitten with the gorgeous correspondent, but Grace 2.0 has sworn off relationships for six months, and she's not falling for his outstanding bod and trophy-winning kisses... or is she?

Jake Malone wants to get back to the fly-by-night, who-knows-what's-next guy he used to be, and he knows exactly how to do it. Oxford is adding a travel section, and Jake—with no wife and no kids and a willingness to live anywhere, eat anything, do everything—is perfect for the job... except that his playboy reputation makes his new editor nervous. To get the gig, he must agree to a fluffy joint article with Stiletto.

But after just one date with snooty, sumptuous, sensational Grace Brighton, Jake starts taking this assignment a whole lot more seriously...

Release date: December 9th, 2013

Published by: Loveswept

Page numbers: 228

Review-

Love the One You're With is the second book in Lauren Layne's Sex, Love and Stiletto series and I have to say that this book may just be my favourite out of all the books in the series. All the credit for that goes to Grace and Jake who were fantastic lead characters. This book had everything you can ask for in a romance.

Let's start with Grace. Grace is the one who writes about relationships in the Stiletto magazine. She has always been the good girl, in a relationship for almost a decade. That is until her fiancé cheats on her. Now after months of recovering she wants to focus on her career and heart. That is until her next assignment pairs her up with Jake from Oxford magazine which is the male counterpart to Stiletto.

I loved Grace. She was a really strong character but after having her heart broken she wants to play it safe. But Jake is anything but safe. He is a player who doesn't want to settle down with anyone or anything. Jake wants to travel the world whereas all Grace craves for is stability. I loved how we got to see all the facets that make Jake who he is. I loved how Jake was with Grace.

Jake and Grace shared amazing chemistry. The tension between them was easy to see and the sparks were flying all over the place. It was hilarious to see them one upping each other for their articles. It was also really sweet how they still kept the intimacy between them and with mutual understanding decided not to share it with the world.

With Julie and Mitchell we also get to see the next two couples in the series in this book. There is definitely something brewing and I can't wait to read Riley and Emma's stories. Love the One You're With had the perfect romance with a really cute ending and an even sweeter epilogue. This one has definitely made it to my list of favourites.