Bountiful by Sarina Bowen | ARC Review

Bountiful (True North #4) by Sarina Bowen
Publisher: Rennie Road Books
Publication Date: October 20, 2017
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 315
Source: eARC from Publicist
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Goodreads Description

No last names. No life stories. Those were the rules.

Once upon a time a cocky, copper-haired tourist sauntered into Zara’s bar. And even though she knew better, Zara indulged in a cure for the small-town blues. It was supposed to be an uncomplicated fling—a few sizzling weeks before he went back to his life, and she moved on. 

Until an accidental pregnancy changed her life. 

Two years later, she’s made peace with the notion that Dave No-Last-Name will never be found. Until one summer day when he walks into her coffee shop, leveling her with the same hot smile that always renders her defenseless.

Dave Beringer has never forgotten the intense month he spent with prickly Zara. Their nights together were the first true intimacy he’d ever experienced. But the discovery of his child is the shock of a lifetime, and his ugly past puts relationships and family out of reach.

Or does it? Vermont’s countryside has a way of nurturing even tortured souls. The fields and the orchards—and hard won love—are Bountiful.

My Thoughts

Bountiful is the fourth standalone in the True North series. I hadn't heard of this series before receiving this book for review. Bountiful follows Dave and Zara after they meet in the bar Zara is running for her uncle in a small town in Vermont. After basically getting dumped Zara decides to use Dave as a distraction for the few weeks he's in town. Fast forward 2 years, Dave is back in town but his plans are quickly derailed when he finds out he has a daughter.

This story is not what I was expecting at all but I still really enjoyed it. Compare to some of the contemporary romance novels I've read lately, Bountiful is more realistic and I really enjoyed that. Zara and Dave both have a past that make it hard for them to open up and truly let someone in. A big part of this book revolved around both of them realizing they deserved more out of life than they kept telling themselves they did. It was nice seeing them take the time to get to know each other and take a chance at being happy.

After reading this I do wish I was able to see Dave interact more with Nicole and the rest of Zara's family. I know everyone wasn't going to completely accept him right away but I feel like I missed out on a big part of Dave's growth as a person. I wasn't a big fan of the abrupt ending. I appreciate that everything wasn't perfectly wrapped up but it just felt like the story ended in the middle of a thought. This is the first book I've read that Sarina Bowen has written by herself. As I mentioned before, I really enjoyed Bountiful and look forward to reading more of her novels.

Emergence by S.G.D. Singh | Review

Emergence (The Infernal Guard #1) by S.G.D. Singh
Publisher: Glory Press
Publication Date: January 30, 2016
Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 491
Source: ebook from Author
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Goodreads Description

Seventeen year-old Asha's days are spent training in martial arts, attending homeschool classes, and helping in the kitchens of a luxurious Miami resort which she seldom leaves. Until the night her grandfather arrives home mysteriously injured, accompanied by a terrifying stranger. Asha begins to suspect that nothing is what it seems when she is abruptly sent to Punjab, India to live with relatives she never knew she had. 

Joined by her best friend, Lexi, and her newfound cousin, Nidhan, Asha is soon drawn to an unusual place where the three of them learn that our World is much more than it appears. And there is a good reason people are afraid of the dark. 

Meet The Infernal Guard: Shape-shifting Jodha warriors, Seers of various psychic Talents, Healers, Illusionists, and weapons-creating Tvastars. They are the gifted few who fight to protect our realm from demonic Underworlders escaping the seven lower dimensions of Hindu Mythology's Fourteen Worlds. 

As the next generation of heroes from around the globe gathers to begin training, Asha discovers true love and a family in her friends and instructors. But something in the darkness knows that she alone possesses the rarest Talent of all. Now Asha must find the courage and strength to risk everything she has gained before a devouring evil like no other The Infernal Guard has ever faced destroys our realm's very existence.

My Thoughts

Emergence follows Asha, a 16 year old living with her grandfather in Miami. Her days are filled with home school, martial arts, and helping her grandfather in a restaurant in the resort they live in. At the beginning, Asha's grandfather returns home with mysterious injuries and without any explanation he decides to send her to live with family in Punjab, India.

I have some mixed opinions about this book. Overall I enjoyed the plot and looked forward to seeing how everything worked out. On the other hand while I was reading I found myself picking at things about the writing and composition of the story. One of the biggest problems I had was the pacing. There were times that the story dragged because it was drowned in details that weren't always necessary and other times the scene flew past before I had time to fully grasp what was going on. The training scenes were really well done and I wish there were a few more of them.

By the end, it's clear the story isn't over. I have no idea where the story might go from where it left off. While I think it could have been amazing if it was cleaned up, Emergence is a fun urban fantasy.

Wicked Torture by J. Kenner | ARC Review

Wicked Torture (Stark World #3) by J. Kenner
Publisher: EverAfter Romance
Publication Date: November 14, 2017
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 300
Source: eARC from InkSlinger PR
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Goodreads Description

Outwardly, Noah Carter is riding high as the tech world’s hottest new genius. Inside, he’s still reeling from the abduction of his wife and baby daughter eight years ago, and then the devastating discovery of his child’s body. For years, he kept up hope that his wife was alive, but now that she’s been declared legally dead, he’s thrown himself even more deeply into his work, cutting himself off from emotional ties because they just hurt too damn much.

Then he meets Kiki Porter, an eternal optimist with a killer work ethic and dreams of fronting a band. And everything changes. Even though he tries his damnedest to fight it…

Sexually, they are combustible together. But their true fire is emotional, though it is a slow to burn. But once it lights, it is all consuming. The relationship grows emotionally, the sex is hot, things are good.

But just when it’s looking like they might have a real future together, the past comes back to haunt them. And Noah’s going to have to decide what he’s willing to give up for love …

My Thoughts

Wicked Torture is the third book in the Stark World series. Although this is the third book in the series each of them can be read as a standalone. As can be expected when going into a book with characters who have been previously introduced, it was a little unsettling because I felt like there was information about Noah I should have already known. I felt like I was missing out on some things at first but I enjoyed working my way through Noah's story.

At the beginning of this story Noah is reeling with guilt over the loss of his wife and daughter. It has been almost 10 years since they were kidnapped and his daughter's body was found but he hasn't allowed himself to heal. After another failed attempt to distract himself he runs into Kiki, someone connected to his past. I appreciate that it wasn't completely easy for them. Even though the attraction between the two never died, they had to learn to trust each other again and I liked being able to see that process.

I'll admit I'm a skeptical person so I still didn't completely believe everything that happened with Noah's wife. Some parts seemed a little too easy and didn't explain everything that happened. Wicked Torture was a lot darker than I was expecting but I still wanted a little more. This was a fast read and it's one to check out if this sounds like your type of read.

Hooking Up by Helena Hunting | ARC Review

Hooking Up (Shacking Up #2) by Helena Hunting
Publisher: SMP Swerve
Publication Date: November 7, 2017
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 444
Source: eARC from Publisher
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Goodreads Description

Amalie Whitfield is the picture of a blushing bride during her wedding reception–but for all the wrong reasons. Instead of proclaiming his undying love, her husband can be heard, by Amalie and their guests, getting off with someone else. She has every reason to freak out, and in a moment of insanity, she throws herself at the first hot-blooded male she sees. But he’s not interested in becoming her revenge screw.

Mortified and desperate to escape the post-wedding drama, Amalie decides to go on her honeymoon alone, only to find the man who rejected her also heading to the same tiny island for work. But this time he isn’t holding back. She should know better than to sleep with someone she knows, but she can’t seem to resist him.

They might agree that what happens on the island should stay on the island, but neither one can deny that their attraction is more than just physical. 

Filled with hilariously scandalous situations and enough sexual chemistry to power an airplane from New York City to the South Pacific, Hooking Up is the next standalone, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from Helena Hunting, the New York Times bestselling author of the Pucked series and Shacking Up.

My Thoughts

Before starting Hooking Up I didn't realize this would be following characters that first made an appearance in Shacking Up. This book can read as a standalone but if you guys care about reading things in order you should read that one first. This book opens following Amalie Whitfield. She has just gotten married and instead of celebrating everyone hears her husband cheating during the reception. Instead of dealing with everything, Amalie decides to go on her honeymoon alone.

Since I didn't read Shacking Up and I didn't have any background about any of the characters, everything was new to me. This made it such an exciting read. I can't remember the last time I went through so many emotions while reading a book. Amie was such a unique and well written character. At first she seems polite and reserved but as she starts revealing more about herself it's clear that she's very sassy. I absolutely love Lex! I think he's my favorite male character from a romance novel that I've read recently. He's sexy and goes after what he wants but he's also sweet and caring. Lex is there for Amie when she needs it throughout the book and he does right her every single time even if it's not always what he wants.

I'm quickly discovering that Helena Hunting might be becoming one of my new favorite authors for contemporary romance novels. I can't wait to go back and read Shacking Up so I can see Amie's best friend Ruby fall in love and learn a little more about the characters from this book. Hooking Up is one of my favorite reads this year and I'm going to be recommending it to anyone that loves the genre!

Fairytale Christmas by Merrie Destefano | ARC Review

Fairytale Christmas (The Fair Folk Saga #1) by Merrie Destefano
Publisher: Self-Published
Expected Publication Date: December 4, 2017
Genre: YA/Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 98
Source: eARC from Author
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Goodreads Description

Three thousand years ago, a war began between the immortals and the mortals. It's a war that continues to this day...

Before history began, a legendary queen battled a foreign army, braved the death of her husband, and faced betrayal at the hand of someone she trusted. This is the story of Eire, Queen of the Faeries, the Immortal One, and the leader of the Tuatha de Danann. 

To this day, her homeland, Ireland, bears her name, and this is the story of the war that drove the Immortal Ones into exile. It's also the tale of how she found help from an unexpected place, leading her to a love like she had never known before.

Fairytale Christmas is a story that spans thousands of years. It's also the beginning of all of our fairytales and legends; it's where mortals and immortals survive because they love one another, proving that love is the greatest gift of all.

This is the first installment in the Saga of the Fair Folk, a journey that lasts until the end of time.

My Thoughts

Fairytale Christmas is the first book in what I believe is going to be a YA/Adult crossover novella series. This story follows Eire, Queen of the Faeries, as her homeland is invaded and the faeries are driven into exile. Honestly, that's an over simplification of the plot and I would suggest checking out the full description.

I really enjoyed the premise of the story. The plot was intriguing and the writing was really well done. All these things made the story easy to get into and was engaging to the point where I didn't want to stop reading. However, I felt like this was just the bones of a story. Since this novella was so short, there wasn't a lot of time to explore more than the plot. I didn't feel like I knew much about the different types of fat which made parts of this story a little confusing for me. Also, since the story was moving so fast I didn't feel like I got the time to connect with and really care about the characters.

I'm not sure if this story is based on any specific mythology. If it is, I've never read it (but I would be interested in reading it) and could explain why I didn't understand some of the things that were going on. I would love to see the author expand this into a full length novel so the characters and the world have room to grow. If you're looking for a quick, fun fantasy read give Fairytale Christmas a try!

The Learning Hours by Sara Ney | Audiobook Review

The Learning Hours (How to Date a Douchebag #3) by Sara Ney
Publication Date: September 26, 2017
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 345
Source: Audiobook from InkSlinger PR
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Goodreads Description

He's not a douchebag; but that doesn't stop his friends from turning him into one.

MY FRIENDS WANT ME TO GET LAID.

So much so that they plastered my ugly mug all over campus, in bold printed letters:

Are you the lucky lady who's going to break our roommate's cherry?
Him: socially awkward man with average-sized penis looking for willing sexual partner. You: must have a pulse. He will reciprakate with oral. Text him at: 555-254-5551

The morons can't even spell. And the texts I've been receiving are what wet dreams are made of. But I'm not like these douchebags, no matter how hard they try to turn me into one.

THIS ISN'T THE KIND OF ATTENTION I WANT.

One text stands out from hundreds. One number I can't bring myself to block. She seems different. Hotter, even in black and white.

However, after seeing her in person, I know she's not the girl for me. But my friends won't let up--they just don't get it. Douchebags or not, there's one thing they'll never understand: GIRLS DON'T WANT ME. 

Especially her.

My Thoughts

The Learning Hours is book three in the How to Date a Douchebag series. Sara Ney is a new-to-me author so I didn't have any experience withe characters from the previous book. In my defense I didn't realize this part of the series before I started reading the series. Since everything was completely new to me, I didn't know what to expect.

When I first started reading I was apprehensive about the relationship between the two main characters. The two of them were so different and I didn't see how a relationship could work between the two. Rhett, who recently transferred schools, seems like a genuinely nice guy. He's not all like what I was expecting from the series title and it was refreshing. Laurel, on the other hand, was a lot different from any character I've read in new adult before and honestly I was a little annoyed with her for a while. She takes pride in her appearance but what I didn't like was how she used the way she looks to look down on and judge people, especially Rhett, before she even knows them. I appreciate that Laurel doesn't let her judgements stop her from getting to know Rhett and eventually acknowledges that her judgements were wrong.

This was the first time I've ever read/listened to a romance novel through audiobook. I really liked that there were two narratives for the dual perspectives. There were a couple things I wish were done differently. Since there were two narrators I would have liked to hear each narrator when their character spoke instead of being limited to when the perspective switched. This would have been especially usually for the text conversation instead of having to hear each name before the text that was sent. Besides little things like this I really enjoyed the audiobook. The Learning Hours was a lot of fun and the audiobook only added to the experience. The story is worth checking out whether you decide to read it or listen to the audiobook.