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Friday, May 24, 2013

Always Remember by Emma Hart Tour Stop: Review + Character Interview + Giveaway

(Click the picture to see the tour schedule on Emma Hart's website!)


Title: Always Remember
Series: Memories, #2
Author: Emma Hart
Published: May 13th 2013
Format: ebook
Source: Received a copy for the blog tour
Synopsis:
How long does it take for a long-distance relationship to break down? Sixteen months.

When Jen and Carl put their relationship to rest after Christmas, Jen’s biggest problem is going back to London ten days earlier than planned – and her ever-present attraction to Samuel ‘Bing’ Edwards.

Bing has no idea why Jen left Devon so fast. All he knows is that he wants her as much as he did the first day he laid eyes on her – so spending time with her while Lexy is still in Devon isn’t exactly a hardship for him. When he finds out she’s single, the only thing on his mind is finishing what they started at his dad’s fiftieth birthday party.

Feelings that have been a long time building between the two explode, and they both find themselves sucked into an easy yet passionate relationship, with Bing determined to prove to Jen that she’s it for him. That she is The One.

But in a city like London, the odds are stacked against them, and there’s always that one person ready to stir things up… And Jen doesn’t know how much of that she can take – even for the guy she loves more deeply than she ever imagined, and eventually she breaks.

Bing isn’t down with that. He wants Jen, and he wants her by his side for good.

Jennifer Mason must learn that Samuel Edwards doesn’t do giving up. Especially not when his forever girl is involved.
Purchase Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Smashwords

My Thoughts

When I read Never Forget and Holding On, I was really excited about Sam and Jen’s story because the chemistry between these two has been oozing since the first book in the series and it is ‘the-more-you-hate-the-more-you-love’ type.

This story by Emma Hart was lighter and a very fun and playful read. I loved Jen’s witty and kick-ass comments especially when it comes to Sam. I must have been like an idiot laughing my ass off while reading Jen and Sam’s conversations. It kept me up all night and I just couldn’t get enough of their exchange! Emma Hart is a genius especially when it comes to creating and executing Sam’s lines. It’s like she enrolled in a course for reading men’s minds and mastered the art of it! The thoughts coming from Sam’s head were so real and we have to give credit to the author for that. :)

Also, we can see another side of Jen in Always Remember. If you guys can remember, in Never Forget, she was just this carefree and easygoing type of girl but we will see a deeper side of Jen here as we witness her struggle against her attraction to Sam, the womanizer. And also, the ‘artistic’ side of Jen. We see her as this very strong and independent woman but when she talks about art and painting, she always gets lost in it, like she can live her whole life doing nothing.. and just painting.

Another thing that readers must look forward to in this novel is the dual POVs of Sam and Jen. I know that I have professed my love for dual POVs in my past reviews but I just have to say it again here because as what I’ve said earlier, Sam’s thoughts were very hauntingly realistic. 

The one thing that I wished the author did was to have more flashbacks of Jen and Sam’s childhood and also, some snippets of memories where they thought of what ‘could have been’. Also, I wished that Hart included some more scenes in between the ending and the epilogue. Or another novella would be great too. J It’s just that – I felt like I missed a part of their lives and of course, I have loved these characters ever since Never Forget so I absolutely want more, more and more!!

Not only did Jen mature in this novel, but she also became fiercer, feistier and spunkier! (Which I thought was not possible considering how witty she was in Never Forget!) When Heidi entered the picture, Jen proved to us that not only does she have a strong character, but she’ll also fight for anyone she loves. It’s like Heidi is the fuel to the fire that only made Jen shine brighter.

Emma Hart did an amazing job with the story of Sam, the playboy turned lover boy and Jen, the smartass who also had a soft side to her. And kudos to Hart’s good writing.

Always Remember is a novel you will surely not forget because it’s a lighthearted read that will make you laugh but at the same time, knock you off your feet. J

AND! Folks, remember: “A little bit of Jen-tude is all you need sometimes.” *winks*

Click here to read my full review of Always Remember on Goodreads

My Rating

Character Interview

*takes a deep breath and nervously opens the door for Jen and Sam*

Rach: Hi Jen and Sam! I’m Rachel from Say It With Books, nice to meet you both.
Jen: Hi, Rachel!
Sam: Hey.

Rach: *momentarily appreciates Sam’s hotness while Jen is looking at our office*

*Sam smirks*

After a moment…

Rach: So, Sam and Jen, how are things going between the two of you?
Sam: Really well!
Jen: No need to sound so surprised, Samuel. 
Rach: *smiles at the very cute couple*

Rach: Sam, can you tell our readers more about the origin of your nickname, Bing? I’m pretty sure that we have many ladies watching out for this post today. *grins*
*Jen rolls her eyes and Sam chuckles*
Sam: When I was about, er, seventeen, I had a bit of a reputation for being a ladies’ man.
Jen: A bit?
Sam: And that’s where the name came from.
Jen: *leans forward* guys are immature. 
Rach: *whispers* Oh, no doubt about that dear!

Rach: Tell us Jen, when did you realize that the person you once called “the biggest goddamn asshole I’ve ever had the complete displeasure of meeting in my whole life.” will be the love of your life? (ohh that sounded so mushy)
Jen: Love of my life? Who said that? Did I? *grins*
Sam: Jennifer…
Jen: Okay, okay. I’m not exactly sure. He kind of wormed his way in with that sexy ass of his.
Sam: I’m glad we finally agree on that, babe. 
Rach: *thinks 'lucky Jennifer!'*

Rach: A question for the both of you, what was the first thing that came into your minds when you saw each other? (That day when Jen stole Lexy’s hermit crab)
Sam: That, for a five year old, she was cute.
Jen: I wanted to smack him over the head with my spade.
Sam: For some reason, I’m not surprised at that.
*Jen grins*
Rach: So Jen, just a theoretical question, what would you do if there was another Heidi that will come into your lives and try to steal Sam from you?
Jen: I wouldn’t hold back on the bitch slap. I know some people wanted that to happen…
Rach: You go, Jen!

Rach: What about you, Sam, what’s the one thing that you love the most about Jen?
Sam: Her smart mouth. It gets even smarter when she’s angry and it makes her really, really sexy.

SAY IT! (Answer with one sentence)

If you could win any award what would it be, why?
Jen: World’s best girlfriend. I make a mean fry up – that’s a requirement, right?
Sam: Best in bed.

What is the most delightful word you can think of?
Jen: F*ckery-doo. It makes me laugh.
Sam: I’m not sure if I should answer that question.
Jen: Samuel, gutter, mind. Pull it up!

If you were written about in the newspaper, on the front page, what would the headline say?
Jen: Probably something arty-ish. You know, something good.
Sam: Yeah… Probably that I got arrested for indecent exposure or something like that.
Jen: Why would you even do that?
Sam: To seduce you?
Jen: How would that seduce me?
Sam: I’d have the pink boxers on.
Jen: Okay. Now you’re talking.


Name one thing that drives you crazy.
Jen: Sam.
Sam: Jen.

Describe the perfect kiss in 3 words.
Sam: One with Jen.
Jen: Yeah, I’m not topping that…
Sam:  *grins*
Jen: I mean, kissing me has to be better than kissing Sam. *winks*
Rach: Aww you two are adorable!!

Jen: Thank you so much for having us, Rachel!
Sam: I’m sorry you had to put up with Jen.
Jen: Me and you are about to fall out, Samuel. You should know that. 
Rach: *uh oh* Thanks for your time, Sam and Jen! Hope you can drop by again here @ Say It With Books! :)


The Author


By day, New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Adult author Emma Hart dons a cape and calls herself Super Mum to a terrible two year old and growing bump, due September 2013. By night, she drops the cape, pours a glass of juice and writes books.


She likes to write about magic, kisses and whatever else she can fit into the story. Sarcastic, witty characters are a must. As are hot guys.

Emma is currently working too many books to even count - including Playing for Keeps, the companion book to New York Times and USA Today bestselling novel, The Love Game. She likes to be busy - unless busy involves doing the dishes, but that seems to when all the ideas come to life.

Stalk Find Emma online:
Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon


Giveaway Time!

a Rafflecopter giveaway





Tuesday, May 21, 2013

The Versatile Blogger Award


Nuz and I would like to thank Credoroza of Fandom Fanatic for this award! :) Check out her page, and be amazed by the tours that she's hosting and fanfiction features!
So, there are rules that go along with the acceptance of one of these and we're very excited to participate.
Rules of The Versatile Blogger Award, should you choose to accept it. You don’t have to if you don’t want to:
1. Display the award logo on your blog.
2. Thank and link back to the person who nominated you.
3. State seven things about yourself.
4. Nominate ten bloggers for this award.
5. Notify those bloggers of the nomination by linking to one of their specific posts so they get notified by pingback.

So, here are 7 things about us…
ONE - Happily Ever Afters
Rach: I am a sucker for HEAs. (Even though I don't want to admit it sometimes)
Nuz: Huge Julia Quinn fan! I think I've read pretty much every historical romance written by her up to now. There's something awesome about HEAs that I too can't resist.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Review: The Collector - Victoria Scott


Title: The Collector
Series: Dante Walker #1
Author: Victoria Scott
Published: Apr 2nd 2013 by Entangled Teen
Format: ebook
Source: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Synopsis:

He makes good girls...bad. 

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.
Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.

My Thoughts

There was a lot of hype last year for the release of Veronica Scott’s debut The Collector. Naturally I was super excited for Dante the book.

Speaking of characters, Dante is the ultimate bad boy. When I say bad I mean BAD. For the first half of the book at least there were no redeeming qualities in him whatsoever. If you look up egocentric, shallow jack ass you’d probably find Dante Walker under it.
I found myself getting seriously pissed off at his blatant disregard for other people’s feelings. There’s a fine line between being bad-boy and being a total jerk. Sadly, Dante falls into the latter category. A bad-boy is HAWT but a jerk? Not so much. Nevertheless he was entertaining because he grows on you.

When it comes to Charlie the only thing I felt was indifference. It was almost as if Dante overshadowed her character. There were a few moments when I did like her but in the end she just was not memorable enough.

I *heart* Ryan GOING UNDER Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway


(Click the picture to follow the blog tour!)


 
Title: Going Under
Author: S. Walden
Published: March 14th 2013 by Penny Press
Format: ebook 
Website: S. Walden's Website
Source: Received a copy in exchange for an honest review/Won from a giveaway
Buy Links: Amazon | B & N |

Synopsis:

Brooke Wright has only two goals her senior year at Charity Run High School: stay out of trouble and learn to forgive herself for the past. Forgiveness proves elusive, and trouble finds her anyway when she discovers a secret club at school connected to the death of her best friend. She learns that swim team members participate in a “Fantasy Slut League,” scoring points for their sexual acts with unsuspecting girls.

Brooke, wracked with guilt over her friend’s death, decides to infiltrate the league by becoming one of the “unsuspecting girls,” and exact revenge on the boys who stole away her best friend. An unexpected romance complicates her plans, and her dogged pursuit of justice turns her reckless as she underestimates just how far the boys will go to keep their sex club a secret. 

(This is a New Adult fiction book with mature themes. It contains graphic sex and language and an explicit description of sexual violence. Please take the content warning seriously.)
My Thoughts
I knew that I was going to love this story when I read the dedication: "To strong girls everywhere."

I am very lucky to have won this book through a giveaway and for being a part of this I *heart* Ryan blog tour. When I started reading Going Under, it kept me always wanting. Wanting for more. Walden perfectly built the suspense and anticipation which made the story very interesting. The pacing of Going Under was just right for my taste. When Brooke first opened her mouth and said “This dress is bullshit”, I knew that this was going to be something different.

This is seriously one of the most realistic stories that I have ever read. Brooke is one of those MCs that I really love because she is such a strong girl. What she went through in this story is something that I don't think I will be able to survive. 

Going Under deals with a lot of issues. The suicide of Beth. The broken friendship of Brooke and Beth because of a boy. The drugs. The booze. The sex. The rape. The parties. The divorce of Brooke's parents. It's an all-in-one story. Again, this is one of those books that left me speechless at the end. That's why I hope that I am doing this review right...

I think the suicide incident of Beth made Brooke a stronger and a wiser person. She once told Gretchen, her friend, this: "I wanted to tell her real life wasn’t a motivational seminar where you’re brainwashed into believing that writing down daily affirmations and chanting them over and over made them come true."

And speaking of Gretchen, I also loved her in this story. She never left Brooke's side and supported her all the way. She always tried to comfort Brooke whenever she got depressed and lonely again because she's blaming herself for what happened to Beth. I also can't forget this one line that Gretchen told Brooke: “We’re allowed one huge mess-up in our lives.”

Oh and of course, this story wouldn't be complete without the swoon worthy guy and he's called Funeral Guy. *winks* :) His name's actually Ryan and he never ceased to amaze me in this book. I always knew that he was hiding something but the mysteriousness of Ryan made this story even more unpredictably beautiful. 

And it was funny how Brooke already claimed him: "She pointed to Funeral Guy. My hottie. I already decided to claim him."

What just startled me a little was the rape scene because it was graphic and so freaking realistic and in that moment, I wish I was there to be the good guy and do the right thing. Although it was a little disturbing for me to read, I knew that Walden wrote this scene to remind us that yes, this is really happening out there and sometimes, we really can't do anything to stop it. It is a very sad reality, but we must be strong for other women out there and learn to fight for what is right. As what Beth said in this story..

"There’s always time to make it right."

Going Under has it all. It's the story of a painful loss, a broken friendship that was mended through time, a love that was lost and then found, a father who just wants the best for her daughter, a boy who wanted to make things right, and a girl who found redemption in a way she did not expect. 

Don't you guys dare miss this. :)


Click here to see my full review of Going Under on my Goodreads page

ALL THINGS RYAN

“Ryan, why are you so gorgeous and strange?”

My sister told me she laughed her butt off at that part in the book—the part where Brooke gets drunk. I wanted it to be silly and lighthearted to take away from some of the heaviness in the novel. I mean, good grief. If the entire novel were like Chapter 20, who on earth would read it??

But back to gorgeous and strange Ryan. It’s official. The ladies love him, and many of you were a little mad you didn’t get more of him in the book. In my defense, I will say that Going Under was not meant to be primarily a romance. In fact, I purposely wrote the romance as a side item. This did not make for completely happy fans. You were semi-happy, but not all-the-way happy. J So here’s me making it up to you. I’m giving you a little inside information on our leading man that hopefully will allow you to forgive me in some way for not featuring him on every page. xo

Full name: Ryan James Foster
Born: September 27 in Raleigh, North Carolina at WakeMed
Astrological Sign: Libra
Stats: 6’2”; 180 lbs; brown hair; blue eyes
Favorite food: Steak fajitas
Favorite music: The Smashing Pumpkins, specifically their Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness album. (His older cousin turned him on to ‘90s alternative rock.)
Favorite TV show: Game of Thrones
Activities: surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding (he’s really hot when he snowboards), swimming, making out with Brooke
Favorite book: The Call of the Wild by Jack London
Favorite movie: Snatch (Hey, what do you want me to say?)
College degree: B.S. Business Finance
Current job: Finance manager for a chain of local skateboard and skateboard supplies stores in Chapel Hill, NC


Idiotic move in college: Hosted a “hurricane party” at a friend’s place half a mile from the beach. These are popular parties during hurricane season in Wilmington, NC, and they really piss off the local authorities. No one was hurt, but a lot of college students got wasted and then naked. Ryan only got partially naked.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Review & Giveaway: Stripped - Brooklyn Skye

Title: Stripped
Author: Brooklyn Skye
Published: May 14th 2013
Format: ebook
Amazon : B&N
Synopsis:
“I like you.” His voice is low and soft, which I don’t deserve. I look away, down the rutted parking lot.
“Don’t... waste those words on me.”
He touches my cheek. “You just need someone to show you.”
“No.” I ease back again. “I don’t. So please, Torrin, stop trying to swoop in and save me. I don’t need saving.”

College freshman Quinn Montgomery will do anything to avoid the mistake her sister made—killing herself over a boy. But when she is forced into nude modeling at a local college to support her family after a bankruptcy, she begins to crack, just enough to let Torrin, the university’s top varsity oarsman, see that the real Quinn is not as feisty and unapproachable as she wants everyone to think. But letting someone in comes at a steep cost and, it turns out, Torrin is connected to Quinn’s family in more ways than she could ever imagine.

My Thoughts
Stripped is a New Adult Contemporary about a girl, Quinn who has been dealt some 'not so great' cards by fate and how she overcomes these obstacles. 
Brooklyn's debut was not quite what I expected nevertheless it was a pleasant surprise. The protagonist, Quinn was not someone that I could relate to. Yet there was a part of me that was able to sympathize with her unfortunate situation. She goes through a series of tough stuff starting with her sister's death. The scandal that her dad was involved led to bankruptcy which lands Quinn in a position where she has to resort to nude modeling to make ends meet. For these reasons you could almost forgive her behavior. Almost.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE by L.M. Augustine Tour Stop: Giveaway + Review

(click the picture to see the blog tour schedule on L.M. Augustine's website)

Get ready for some pure awesomeness that will happen today at our blog because guess what.. today is our stop for the Click to Subscribe blog tour! Woot wooot!

Title: Click to Subscribe
Author: L.M. Augustine
Published: May 9th 2013
Source: Received an ebook for the blog tour
Synopsis:

1,135,789. That’s how many subscribers sixteen-year-old West Ryder has on his web vlog series. But he only has eyes for one of them. 

 As one of the internet’s most prestigious video bloggers, West talks about high school relationships under the name “Sam Green.” As far as he knows, no one from school, not even his best friend, Cat, has seen his videos. But the highlight of the whole thing is Harper Knight, who comments every day at exactly 2:02 in the afternoon. He doesn’t know anything about her aside from the occasional deep philosophical messaging on why pizza tastes so delicious, but as stupid as it sounds, he might be falling for her. So when they finally agree to meet in real life, West’s hope for romance seems more and more in reach. But that all changes as soon as he arrives at their meeting spot and sees Cat walking toward him, wearing the same “I <3  Sam Green” T-shirt Harper promised she'd have on. 

To his alarm, West realizes he is falling in love with the best friend who has always been a sister to him.

My Thoughts


Click to Subscribe is a novel that's not hard to love and be addicted to. Interesting and dorky characters, funny lines, vlogging, romance, first love, ice cream, chocolate cake - what more can you ask for??

I'll have to give a very drool-worthy virtual chocolate cake to L.M. Augustine..


 ..because of the writing style which made me want to keep reading 'til the wee hours of the morning.  

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