Burning by @ElanaKArnold ~Review&Giveaway!

Goodreads Synopsis- Ben: Having just graduated from high school, Ben is set to leave Gypsum, Nevada. It's good timing since the gypsum mine that is the lifeblood of the area is closing, shutting the whole town down with it. Ben is lucky: he's headed to San Diego, where he's got a track scholarship at the University of California. But his best friends, Pete and Hog Boy, don't have college to look forward to, so to make them happy, Ben goes with them to check out the hot chick parked on the side of Highway 447.

Lala: She and her Gypsy family earn money by telling fortunes. Some customers choose Tarot cards; others have their palms read. The thousands of people attending the nearby Burning Man festival spend lots of cash--especially as Lala gives uncanny readings. But lately Lala's been questioning whether there might be more to life than her upcoming arranged marriage. And the day she reads Ben's cards is the day that everything changes for her. . . and for him.

My Thoughts & Ramblings...

Burning was definitely a book I am not used to reading. Sure, vampires and bad boys are fun but it can get old after awhile. But a book about a gypsy girl and a regular boy? Now that's something I wasn't expecting.

The gypsy culture isn't one I am familiar with, so it was interesting reading from Lala's  pov. Her character is not like most. She is wise beyond her years, friendly , exotic, and loyal. I liked her immediately. She has been arranged to marry her sister's husband's brother. Get all that?:)

His name is Romeo but he is anything but. 

I love how Lala's culture is all about family unity. Everyone has a place in their community. A woman's job is to stay at home and cook, clean, and take care of babies. While a man is expected to work. Now I understand many of you would probably balk at this since in modern day times, men and women both work and do house duties together. I am a working woman and a mother too. But there is something about wanting to be able to be at home with my children and taking care of my husband by having a clean house and a hot meal on the table for him at the end of the day. For many of us it doesn't always work that way. That is what I find so fascinating about the gypsy ways. 

We also get Ben's pov as well. His family, along with the whole town, are all packing and getting ready to move out of the small town of Gypsum. Ben will be moving to San Diego while his family will be moving to Reno.

So Ben...

He is beautiful, athletic, and kind. That might sound like a dud, but it works for him. He is also loyal and is a leader in the eyes of his friends. 

When Ben and Lala meet it is instant attraction for both of them, although Lala does not show it. I loved reading their story, it was kind of like Romeo and Juliet! Forbidden love is the best kind, am i right? 

Burning was a bit slow moving in the beginning but the end result was worth it. The characters felt real and their problems were something I could identify with. Some things I couldn't. 

What does freedom mean to you? Freedom plays a big part in the story. Maybe not so much with Ben but with Lala. After all, she is the one who craves to be let out and to experience the outside world. 

If you are looking for a book filled with forbidden romance, families, friendships, a unique gypsy girl, a gorgeous guy, and some heartbreak...then this is for you!

*ARC provided by Random House Children's Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5772357.Elana_K_Arnold <===Elana's Goodreads page

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Dare You To By Katie McGarry

Goodreads Summary:

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

My Thoughts:

Many of you have met Beth in the first book Pushing the Limits, where she was a secondary character. She was the rough around the edges and bitchy best friend of Noah and Isaiah. I am not going to lie I did not care for her, I thought she was rude and didn't give Echo a chance. I loved Echo and Noah's story, it was gut wrenching and real. Much like Dare You To is.

Reading Beth's story has opened my eyes and I feel I may have judged her too harshly while reading Pushing the Limits. I was able to look inside a misunderstood and broken girl's mind and heart and see so much pain. There is more to Beth than what she chooses to show the world. I love that about a character, especially one as complex as Beth.

"I am not kittens and bunnies, but I am not that bad." -Beth

At the beginning of the story we meet Ryan. I know what you are thinking, who in the hell is Ryan!? Well my lovely friends, Ryan is the main man in this story and as perfect as he may seem, he is as deeply flawed as Beth is. He and his friends are known for the ultimate dares and Ryan being the ultimate competitor, never backs down from a challenge. In walks Beth, his latest challenge.

Poor guy, he never stood a chance.

"When you kiss guys, do they drop dead from the venom that spews out of your mouth?"- Ryan

Cue next scene

This is where the story starts to turn around. Beth takes the fall for her mother in order to keep her from going to jail. In return, she has to go live with her Uncle Scott. And I say has to go because she  has no choice since her long lost uncle now has custody over her.

As fate would have it, that is exactly where Ryan is located and the exact place that Beth needs to be.

Wow, my mind is still reeling from all the emotions I felt while reading Dare You To. I cried (alot), I laughed out loud, I felt our two beautiful main characters pain as if it were my own, and I fell in love. Don't shoot me...but I think I liked this more than Noah and Echo's story. Totally different storyline and everything. I just felt like I could relate more to this story.

Ryan...oh man, as I mentioned before he is flawed. His whole family is flawed but you would never know it from the outside looking in. His whole life is perfect in the eyes of Beth and she doesn't feel she is worthy enough for his love. He is so beautiful inside and out. Just a full on package, brains, beauty, and he is athletic. He plays baseball! I love baseball, so I definitely love him and can relate to him as a pitcher. Since I was one also, but for softball:)

"You're falling for me like I am falling for you. That's why you are pushing me so hard."- Ryan

The romance was my favorite kind. It was definitely not love at first sight and they were able to grow into loving each other. Ryan and Beth took a chance on each other by trusting one another and letting down their walls. That is what falling in love is all about. It isn't easy, but it's worth it. Dare You To proves that.

You are probably wondering about Noah, Echo, and Isaiah. Good news is we do get to see them! Bad news is, it may not be as much as you want. Surprisingly, I was okay with this. I liked getting to know Ryan and his friends, I even liked the interactions with Scott.

Katie McGarry has done it again. I will read anything by this lady! The characters she has created have been embedded into my heart and I will not be letting them go anytime soon.

Thank you to Harlequin & NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

The Last Boyfriend Review by @JSCooperauthor

Goodreads Summary:
Lucky Morgan has had her share of heartbreak. She is devastated when her boyfriend dumps her after sleeping with him and she vows to herself that she won't be used again. She decides that the next guy she dates and sleeps with, will be her one true love.

Zane Beaumont is the mysterious and snooty guy that comes into her diner every Friday night with a different girl. He's the type of guy she's learned to avoid: carefree, fast, handsome, rich, and sarcastic. Unfortunately, she can't stop thinking about the devilish gleam in his eyes.

When Lucky's car breaks down one night after a party, it is Zane who comes to her rescue. As Zane attempts to sweep Lucky off of her feet, she soon realizes that nothing is as it seems and that Zane may very well be the guy for whom she changes the rules. That is until she meets Braydon.


My Thoughts:
I may have a teeny, tiny spoiler...read at your own descretion.

Lucky is a 22 year old college student and waitress at a diner. That is where she meets Zane. Beautiful and confusing Zane. Lucky is his waitress and every Friday night for the past 3 months, Zane is seen with a different girl. Uh, can we say player?! Seriously, a different girl every Friday night! Anyways, lucky and him form a sort of friendship but not before Zane tells her there will never be anything more than friendship. Well, maybe friends with benefits, but that's it! Sounds like a great guy, huh? But at least he was honest up front right?

Braydon was a cool guy, I really did like him. He seemed like a genuinely nice and polite dude. Little do we know...
Oh and he also happens to be the hottest young actor in Hollywood. What is not to like?


The title is a clever title because it signifies that Lucky wont settle, the next boyfriend she has, will be her last. The reason for this is because something happened to her the year before and it made her rethink having just dates with boys. I wish I would have thought of that;)

You can find and follow J. S. Cooper at these websites:

Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/J.-S.-Cooper/e/B00BROAPDU/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1367289069&sr=8-1

 

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/J.S.Cooperauthor

 

Personal website- http://jscooperauthor.com/

 

Twitter- @JSCooperauthor

 

Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1013599.J_S_Cooper

 

Alright, I hope all you lovely people have a great day!

Seduction and Snacks by Tara Sivec Review

Summary:
Claire is a twenty-something, single mom that grudgingly helps her best friend sell sex toys while she attempts to make enough money to start her own business to give her foul-mouthed, but extremely love able (when he's asleep) toddler a better life.

When Carter, the one-night-stand from her past that changed her life forever, shows up in her hometown bar without any recollection of her besides her unique chocolate scent, Claire will make it a point that he remembers her this time.

With Carter's undisguised shock at suddenly finding out he has a four-year-old son and Claire's panic that her stretch marks and slim to none bedroom experience will send the man of her dreams heading for the hills, the pair will do whatever they can to get their happily ever after.

Warning: contains explicit sex, profanity and enough sarcasm to choke a horse.

My thoughts on the book:
My first thought as soon as I finished Seduction and Snacks was, "wow, I was not expecting that." Seriously, I have not laughed that hard at a book in..well ever. I was constantly laughing from the first page until the very last. It may have to do with the fact that I am a mom and I could relate to some of the stuff Claire was going through. And stuff I have YET to go through considering I have a three year old little boy. At least I know I can have a good laugh along the way.

I recently just found out about the Chocolate Lovers series not long ago. It has been about a year since the book has been out but I just had to share with everyone how awesome I found it. I even converted a few of my work friends into the reading it and needless to say, they love it too. I am going to be starting the second asap.

There were some parts in the book that lagged but for the most part it was an entertaining plot. The characters were well developed and all had a sense of humor. They were also like able, almost as if you would want them as your best friends. Okay, I admit...I DO want them as my best friends! Hah

Claire is a great heroine. I really enjoyed reading and getting inside her head. I love how much of a softy she was at heart even though she tried to prove to people that she was a bad ass. I mean yes, she was a bad ass but still.

Carter is dreamy but the one that stole the show was Gavin by far! That kid was crazy times a hundred, I have no idea what I would do if he was my kid. I would definitely have to laugh behind closed doors that's for sure. Some of the things he does and says you want to smack him but secretly smile and giggle because he is such a clever/witty/smart ass little boy.

This is a humorously sexy book. If you have not yet had the chance to read it, go and get it now!!

Amazon link:
Seduction and Snacks (Chocolate Lovers #1)
 http://www.amazon.com/Seduction-Snacks-Chocolate-Lovers-ebook/dp/B008AZTUU8/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1
It is only $1.99 y'all.