Friday, May 29, 2020

Review—The Beginning of the End by R. Holmes

Today we have the blog tour for THE BEGINNING OF THE END by R. Holmes! Check it out and be sure to grab your copy today!

Title: The Beginning of the End

Author: R. Holmes

Genre: Contemporary Romance

About The Beginning of the End:

Ambrey My last name was royalty in New Orleans, at least, I guess to those who mattered. But to me…my last name was a curse. High society. Expectations. Old money. Politics. Everything I despised. If only they could see what happened behind those high-society closed doors. The same doors my daddy paid a lot of money to keep closed. Deceit. Destruction. Bribery. You name it, my family was guilty of it. My father’s throne was built on lies. Our family was the epitome of faux royalty. Then, I fell in love and oh what a fool I was. I was just a pawn in my father’s game. And to use the man who claimed to love me... Five years ago, I walked away, and left my father to his riches. And that man who left me in broken, jagged pieces? Well, what goes around, comes around. Grey Four years in a prison cell changes a man. I spent those five years fighting to survive. When I emerged, I was nothing like the man who had walked through those cell doors all those years ago. I overcame things that I never imagined I’d be faced with.. The one person who promised to never leave, did. The life I thought I knew, gone. The future I once thought I had, up in smoke. Like so many things in my life, my story and my future were stolen from me. Sure, it’s made up of the usual parts…a beginning and an end. But just like every story, there’s a hero, there’s the villain…and then there’s me. And this is the beginning of the end.

Get Your Copy Today!



Review:
This was a sweet second chance romance between two people that had an undeniable connection. Grey and Ambrey met in high school; she was from a prominent and wealthy family, and he was the bad boy from the other side of the tracks. The thing they had in common was the love they shared for one another. Until that love was tested and nothing was ever the same. 

Now eight years later, they run into each other and that fire burns hotter than ever between the two. Grey is swoony and very protective. Especially of his baby girl, Emily Kate. I thought Ambrey was a strong and beautiful character; I could see parts of myself in her. She was strong yet vulnerable in so many ways. 

I personally took a bit longer to feel that connection between the main characters. But when I did, it was great! If truth be told, I’m actually itching for the best friends of the story, Madison and Bishop—they’re my favorite type of tropey relationship goodness! Overall, I liked this and give it a big thumbs up!





 

About the Author:

R. Holmes is from a small town in southern Louisiana where she lives on a farm, with her husband and two little boys. Whenever she's not chasing around the goats and her boys on the farm, she spends her time watching ridiculous amounts of Netflix and is almost always stuck with her nose in a book. She thrives on horror films, sarcasm, and reruns of Harry Potter. A perpetual night owl, you'll find her in her office locked away until the wee hours of the morning. She loves to meet her readers and discuss her latest favorite books and her upcoming projects! Connect with her via Facebook, Instagram (@RHolmesAuthor) and twitter!

Connect with the Author:

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Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Review-Beach Read by Emily Henry


Publisher: Berkley
Published: May 19, 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: E-ARC
Rating: 5 stars

Check out what reviewers are saying HERE!
Blurb:
A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.

They're polar opposites.

In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer's block.

Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She'll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he'll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really.

Review:

This touched me a lot deeper than I thought it would. It has a yellow, cheery cover—one would expect complete happiness. But the message was thoughtful and had so much meaning behind it. Beach Read will make you laugh out loud, cause insane happiness, and might cause you to shed a tear or two. I know I couldn’t stop those measly little tears from falling from my face.

While this is all romance, it took a familiar plot and completely made it it’s own. I don’t know why I always have such a soft spot for the “emotionally unattached” hero that really feels more deeply then we give him credit for. Cliche? Maybe. But it totally worked for Gus! He was so damn dreamy!

Ever since we’re introduced to him in the book, the sparks fly off the pages. The tension anytime January and Gus were together was delicious,sexy, and everything in between. I felt it deep within my bones. The angst made butterflies appear in my stomach because all I wanted was for these two characters to just get it together already! The looks and subtle touches alone...*sigh*

What made this particular read so special was that it spoke directly to a bookworms heart. Henry wrote this story just for me. I felt that pain January felt. I felt her joy and I felt the moment she fell in love. If you’re looking for a book that has it all—romance, swoons, hard times, betrayals, and hope, don’t pass this one by! I wish I could read it again for the first time.


*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are subjective but my own.


Buy the book:

Amazon US
Amazon UK

About the author:

Emily Henry writes stories about love and family for both teens and adults. She studied creative writing at Hope College and the now-defunct New York Center for Art & Media Studies. Find her on Instagram @EmilyHenryWrites.
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Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Review-Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson


Publisher: Berkley
Published: May, 19, 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Print ARC
Rating: 4.5 stars


Blurb:
When their foster-turned-adoptive mother suddenly dies, four brothers struggle to keep open the doors of her beloved Harlem knitting shop, while dealing with life and love in Harlem.

Jesse Strong is known for two things: his devotion to his adoptive mom, Mama Joy, and his reputation for breaking hearts in Harlem. When Mama Joy unexpectedly passes away, he and his brothers have different plans on what to do with Strong Knits, their neighborhood knitting store: Jesse wants to keep the store open; his brothers want to shut it down.

Jesse makes an impassioned plea to Kerry Fuller, his childhood friend who has had a crush on him her entire life, to help him figure out how to run the business. Kerry agrees to help him reinvent the store and show him the knitty-gritty of the business, but the more time they spend together, the more the chemistry builds. Kerry, knowing Jesse’s history, doesn’t believe this relationship will exist longer than one can knit one, purl one. But Jesse is determined to prove to her that he can be the man for her—after all, real men knit.

Review:
I’m in love with love. I read this during the month of love; February. So I’m happy I was able to read such a well-written and fun read about four hot brothers that knit during the most romantic month of the year! That being said, this book doesn’t come out until May but I promise it will be out before you know it! Read it then come back and discuss with me!

I’m so grateful to live in a time where I don’t ever have to be shamed for reading romance. And to those who look down on romance readers, all I have to say is that IT’S YOUR LOSS. Real Men Knit shows the importance of how love can really be all you need. Especially when you feel that love all the way down into your gut.

Jesse and Kerry are the female and male lead you love to root for. Sure, Jesse is a bit of a ladies man, but it didn’t take away from the sweet side that had Kerry falling in love with him. For good reason! Mama Joy is the lovely lady that raised (and adopted) four boys that couldn’t be more different. They’re brothers though and it comes as a shock when Mama Joy passes away.

Then comes the whole she-bang of what to do with her knitting shop. Jesse wants to keep it, while the brothers want to sell it. He’ll do anything to keep that from happening. So, that’s when his childhood friend comes into the picture with helping him save the shop.

Along the way, we meet so many wonderful characters that will no doubt have the potential to be in follow-up books. I'm here for it when it happens :)
 Jackson has written a romance for the ages and I for one am a new found fan!

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Buy the book:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

About the author:
A USA Today bestselling author, native New Yorker, Kwana Jackson aka K.M. Jackson author spent her formative years on the 'A' train where she had two dreams: 1) to be a fashion designer and 2) to be a writer. After spending over ten years designing women's sportswear for various fashion houses Kwana took the leap of faith and decided to pursue her other dream of being a writer.
A longtime advocate for equality and diversity in romance and #WeNeedDiverseRomace, Kwana is a mother of twins and currently lives in a suburb of New York with her husband. When not writing she can be found on Twitter @kwanawrites, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KmJacksonAuthor/ and on her website at www.kmjackson.com.
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Thursday, May 7, 2020

Blog Tour Review— HOW TO QUIT YOUR CRUSH BY AMY FELLNER


 



How to Quit Your Crush by Amy Fellner Dominy
Publication Date: May 4, 2020
Publisher: Entangled Teen Crush

Blurb:
Mai Senn knows Anthony Adams is no good for her – no matter how hard she might crush on him. She’s valedictorian;
he’s a surf bum. She’s got plans, he’s got his art. Complete opposites in every way. Vinegar and baking soda, they once
joked. A chemical reaction that bubbled.
Yeah, they bubbled. Maybe still do.
Good thing Anthony’s got the perfect plan: two weeks to prove just how not good they are together. Whoever can come
up with the worst date—something the other will seriously hate, proving how incompatible they truly are—wins.
Like taking a snake-phobe to the Reptile House at the zoo (his idea).
Or a cooking class where they don’t even get to eat the food (her idea).
It’s all about the competition, and it’s meant to help them finally crush their crushes. But it wasn’t supposed to be so
hot. Or so fun. And when Mai’s future becomes at stake, will she be able to do the right thing and quit Anthony forever?

Review:
How to Quit Your Crush is cute, funny, and romantic! Mai and Anthony are clearly PERFECT for each other in so many ways. Opposites attract is one of my favorite tropes and this one has been bumped up to a fave of mine.

The banter is what truly made this for me. I love witty and swoon-worthy talks between the hero and heroine of books. The flirting and then the eventual way they can’t help but gravitate towards each other. So romantic!

Overall, if you’re looking for a fun and lighthearted story about two amazing characters and the shenanigans they get up to, this is for you! And if you really love the characters after you’ve read the book, check out Announcing Trouble, Garrett and Josie’s book! Which I loved as well. 

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


About the Author:

Amy grew up loving to read and figured out at an early age that books were magical and necessary. She started submitting her own stories to be published when she was thirteen. Amy is now the award-winning
author of nine books spanning young adult, middle grade, and picture books. Titles for Entangled include Announcing Trouble and the companion novel, How to Quit Your Crush. Amy lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her
husband and a puppy who is training them. Visit Amy online at www.amydominy.com or follow her on
Instagram or Twitter at @amydominy.

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Friday, May 1, 2020

Review-Master Class by Christina Dalcher


Publisher: Berkley
Published: April 21, 2020
Genre: Science Fiction
Source: E-ARC
Rating:

Check out what reviewers are saying HERE!
Blurb:
The future of every child is determined by one standardized measurement: their quotient (Q). Score high enough, and they attend a top tier school with a golden future ahead of them. Score low, and they are sent to a federally run boarding school with limited prospects for future employment. The purpose? Education costs are cut, teachers focus on the best students, and parents are happy.

Elena Fairchild is a teacher at one of the state's elite schools. When her nine-year old daughter fails her next monthly test, her Q score drops to a disastrously low level and she is immediately forced to leave her top school for a federal school hundreds of miles away. As a teacher, Elena knows intimately the dangers of failure in their tiered educational system, but as a mother who just lost her child, all Elena wants is to be near her daughter again. And she will do the unthinkable to make it happen.
 

Review:

Buy the book:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

About the author:
Christina Dalcher earned her doctorate in theoretical linguistics from Georgetown University. She specialized in the phonetics of sound change in Italian and British dialects and taught at universities in the United States, England, and the United Arab Emirates.

Her short stories and flash fiction appear in over one hundred journals worldwide. Recognitions include first prize in the Bath Flash Fiction Award as well a
s nominations for The Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, and Best Small Fictions.

Laura Bradford of Bradford Literary Agency represents Dalcher’s novels.

After spending several years abroad, most recently in Sri Lanka, Dalcher and her husband now split their time between the American South and Andalucia, Spain.


Her debut novel, VOX, was published in August 2018 by Berkley (an imprint of Penguin Random House) and has been translated into twenty languages.


Dalcher’s second novel, MASTER CLASS, will be out in the spring of 2020.
 


Blurb:
Set in an America where half the population has been silenced, VOX is the harrowing, unforgettable story of what one woman will do to protect herself and her daughter.

On the day the government decrees that women are no longer allowed to speak more than 100 words daily, Dr. Jean McClellan is in denial—this can't happen here. Not in America. Not to her.

This is just the beginning.

Soon women can no longer hold jobs. Girls are no longer taught to read or write. Females no longer have a voice. Before, the average person spoke sixteen thousand words a day, but now women only have one hundred to make themselves heard.

But this is not the end.

For herself, her daughter, and every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice.

Buy VOX:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
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