Temporary by Sarina Bowen & Sarah Mayberry | Cover Reveal + Win ARC

This is another first on my blog but I'm really excited for this one. Temporary is by two authors I've never read before but I have heard of Sarina Bowen a few times when looking for more New Adults books to read. Today, I present you with the cover of the book Sarina and Sarah have worked on together. Not only that, you also get the opportunity to win a paperback ARC for yourself. Temporary releases September 12th.

Here is a message from the authors!

Dear readers,

We're thrilled to bring you TEMPORARY, our first collaboration! It's the story of a hapless New York temp worker and the hot Aussie man who complicates her life. Coming September 12!

But we need your help! We have two blurbs for this book, and we can't make up our minds.

Which version is better? Your vote enters you to win a paperback ARC.

Thank you! Love,

Sarah & Sarina

Version A:

The most beautiful man she’s ever seen is the same one who can ruin everything.

The first time Grace Kerrington meets Callan Walker she's bowled over by his hotness - and his massive sense of entitlement. She can't believe she's going to have to deal with his smug commentary (in that sexy Australian accent) on a daily basis, all while trying to convince his ball-busting mother to give her a permanent job.

All Callan sees when he looks at Grace is yet another raptor-in-a-suit, wanting to climb the corporate ladder. Sure, she’s sexy, but he has bigger cattle to wrangle - like ensuring his recently deceased uncle’s final wishes are honored.

Grace needs this job--she’s all that stands between her little sister and social services. But Callan is a master player - and a master flirt. She was never supposed to succumb to his charm. But there’s a fine line between locking horns and locking other body parts.

She cannot fall for him. The game he’s playing with his estranged family is dangerous and dirty. Any idiot can see what’s happening between them can only ever be temporary. But Grace’s heart didn’t get the memo…

Warning: contains a hot Aussie who makes even ordinary words sound sexy, a crotch-obsessed poodle, weird Australian cookies, and one fabulous Chanel suit.

Version B:

The first time I lay eyes on Callan Walker, I know he’ll be trouble. With his smug grin, hot Aussie accent and thousand dollar shoes, he’s just the kind of rich guy who always gets what he wants.

And he wants two things: a night of sin, and my cooperation as he outmaneuvers his powerful mother to take control of his uncle’s estate.

I can’t afford either one. I’m the only thing standing between my little sister and the foster care system. He may have money and charm on his side, but I have something even more powerful -- pure desperation. This temp job at his mother’s company can become a full time job for me. It has to.

But when Callan’s eyes rake over my body, sometimes I forget my obligations. His piercing gaze finds the fun, optimistic girl I used to be and not the tired person I’ve become.

And it works--if only for a moment. Our night together was a mistake. I can't afford to get sucked into his high-powered family’s treachery. But the closer I get to Callan, the more layers I find beneath those expensive clothes. Though I can’t forget this is temporary. He’s temporary. I have too much to lose.

Too bad my foolish heart didn’t get the memo...

Make sure to go VOTE HERE!

Hooking Up by Helena Hunting | Cover Reveal

It's been a while but I'm back with a new post. This time it's for a cover reveal of Hooking Up by Helena Hunting. I believe this is the second time I have had this opportunity and I'm just as excited! This sounds like the kind of books I have been really enjoying lately and I can't wait to read it. Without further ado, here's is the cover for Helena Hunting's upcoming novel.

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 a standalone, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy.

Hooking Up is currently set to release November 7, 2017. If you're interested is reading this book make sure to check Helena's website for more information!

Find Helena Hunting

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Blog Tour: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid | Review

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: June 13, 2017
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Chick Lit
Pages: 400
Source: eARC fro Publisher
Find on Goodreads

Goodreads Description

From Taylor Jenkins Reid comes an unforgettable and sweeping novel about one classic film actress’s relentless rise to the top—the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine.

Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn’s life unfolds through the decades—revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love—Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

Filled with emotional insight and written with Reid’s signature talent, this is a fascinating journey through the splendor of Old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means—and what it takes—to face the truth.

My Thoughts

Before I started reading tis novel I admit I was a bit nervous. This isn't the kind of book that I normally read. Although I was intrigued by the synopsis I was still concerned I wouldn't enjoy it and have to for myself through. I decided to get it a try anyway and I'm so happy I did. From the moment I started reading I was hooked and had to know where the story would go.

The writing was amazing! There was so much that happened in this book that I wouldn't even begin to know details about but everything felt so real. The characters, the places they went, and the people they met, I felt as if I could see everything. There were even times where I wanted to look up different movies mentioned and gossip column articles, only to remember that this is a work of fiction and these things didn't actually happen.

I also really loved the characters. Each of them was flawed and so beautifully human. They all fought to live the life they wanted. They loved, lost, and hurt so deeply. Especially Evelyn Hugo. From the very beginning I felt so connected to Evelyn. I didn't always agree with her choices, honestly most of the time I didn't agree with her, but I understood each time why she chose what she did and how that choice benefited or hurt her lifestyle. Evelyn Hugo is probably the most flawed character I have read about but I appreciate that she realizes and accepts her faults and doesn't regret the decisions she has made.

I don't understand why I was so emotionally invested in this book and these characters but I was. It takes a lot for me to cry while reading a book and I cried three or four times while reading. That might not mean much to you but it means a lot for me. There were so many quotable moments throughout this novel, so many I wouldn't even know where to begin with my list. If this sounds even a little interesting I highly suggest trying it out. I don't think you'll regret it!

May Wrap Up | 2017

Stray by Joni Johnson | Review

Stray by Joni Johnson
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: March 22, 2017
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 250
Source: Received ebook from Author for Review
Find on Goodreads

Goodreads Description

Lila Baxter, 17, is abandoned at a gas station in a small town when her father, who was taking her to live with her grandmother, had a lapse in sobriety. Lila is left alone, unsure of where she is, with no money, and no cell phone. Gas station cashier Vance Larson, 18, offers to help the unwanted girl. And how does Lila repay him? By unwittingly unhinging Vance's whole life. Fixing the trouble she’s caused is next to impossible. And will any of it matter when her father returns?

My Thoughts

The synopsis of this novel gives a pretty good summary of what happens throughout the book. In a way I feel it almost gives too much away because the story starts before the information given in the description. The story opens with Lila going to her last day of high school. We get a little look at how her life is but not much. Lila thinks her father is about to kick her out since she's graduated high school but after getting home later that day she finds out he plans to take her across the country to live with a grandmother she's never met. I think knowing ahead of time that Lila would be abandoned at a gas station hut the shock factor of the moment. From the moment the two started on the road I was waiting for the moment Lila would be left.

The pacing of this story is pretty slow. The entire story takes place over about 2 weeks but it felt like it was longer. At some moments the pacing benefited the story, for example it made sure the romance didn't feel rushed, but other times it didn't. There were moments the story dragged and I found myself waiting for he next exciting moment.

I don't know anything about the background of where either of the main characters is from but they seemed real. The characters can make or break a story for me, and these characters made me want to keep reading to see how the story would end. I did feel their were some inconsistencies with Lila. She has trust issues because of the way she grew up, so much so that she didn't allow herself to open up and make friends. The only friend she had didn't really know anything about her life and she refused to tell him even when it could have helped her. However when she meets a complete stranger, Vance (and his mom), while she doesn't completely open up to them right away it seems like she almost completely trusts them.

I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending. I appreciated that there wasn't a perfect ending where everyone got exactly what they wanted because that's not how life is, especially Lila's. However there were some things that didn't quite add up and I had a lot of unanswered questions. One thing that didn't seem right was Lila's age. I know for parts of the story to make since Lila needs to be 17 but when looking at the timeline it doesn't make sense. Lila's birthday is in February and she just graduated high school so unless she skipped a grade Lila should already be 18. This wasn't a huge issue but it's something I noticed. My main issue with this story is all my unanswered questions.

• Did Carl (Lila's father) leave her on purpose? 
• If he didn't, was he on his way back to get her?
• Why wasn't Lila's grandmother ever contacted? Even though she didn't know her, there was some way they could've found her contact information.
• What did Carl's mother do when he and Lila never showed up?
• Why didn't anyone contact Carl's next living relative once he was in the accident? Once again, there is a way they couldn't have gotten this information.

There are so many more questions I had but I don't want to spoil any of the story.

Overall, Stray was enjoyable. With some changes I think this story could've been incredible. I would like to see a little extension of the story to be able to see where life goes for Lila, and even Vance and his mother. If this synopsis sounds interesting to you, I think it's worth giving Stray a try.

April Wrap Up + May TBR | 2017

I'm really late on posting my wrap up for last month so I'll share the video I uploaded on my channel talking about what I read in April. Although I was crawling out of a reading slump I had a pretty good reading month and finished 6 books.

I have five books on my May TBR. It's not a lot but there are some pretty hefty books. At least two of the books are over 600 pages! I've already finished one of the books on my TBR for the month so I'm off to a good start. Wish me luck!

Let me know what you guys read in April and what you plan to read in May. 

Until It Fades by K. A. Tucker | Review

Until It Fades by K. A. Tucker
Publisher: Atria Books
Expected Publication Date: June 27, 2017
Genre: New Adult, Romance
Pages: 368
Source: eARC from Netgalley
Find on Goodreads

Goodreads Description

Twenty-four-year-old truck stop waitress and single mother Catherine Wright has simple goals: to give her five-year-old daughter a happy life and to never again be the talk of the town in Balsam, Pennsylvania: population two thousand outside of tourist season.

And then one foggy night, on a lonely road back from another failed attempt at a relationship, Catherine saves a man’s life. It isn’t until after the police have arrived that Catherine realizes exactly who it is she has saved: Brett Madden, hockey icon and media darling.

Catherine has already had her fifteen minutes of fame and the last thing she wants is to have her past dragged back into the spotlight, only this time on a national stage. So she hides her identity. It works.

For a time.

But when she finds the man she saved standing on her doorstep, desperate to thank her, all that changes. What begins as an immediate friendship quickly turns into something neither of them expected. Something that Catherine isn’t sure she can handle; something that Catherine is afraid to trust.

Because how long can an extraordinary man like Brett be interested in an ordinary woman like Catherine…before the spark fades? 

My Thoughts

I was apart of the cover reveal for this book a bit ago. When I first read the synopsis I knew it was a book that I needed to read no matter what. I like to think I'm still new to the New Adult genre but this book seemed to have everything that I have enjoyed within the genre so far, a passionate romance that made me want a real life version of the male character for myself. Imagine my surprise when it ended up being a lot more than the that.

The story is told in a dual timeline so there is an understanding of how Catherine is currently living and how exactly she got there. I'm not going to go into any details about how Catherine ended up being a single mother working as a truck stop waitress because that is a big plot pint that makes up the story. Catherine's current lifestyle in a way lead her to be in the right place at the right time to save Brett.

The formatting of the story, switching between Catherine's past and present, made the story a little slow at times for me. I understand why it was done and felt it was very effective to reveal important details but I felt that it was done too much. I didn't always care to relive those moments. Instead I would have like to see Catherine open up a little and talk about a few of the moments to get a sense of how she was feeling at the current moment in her life as opposed to when it first happened. Another thing I noticed was that while it didn't seem like insta-love, the romance happened pretty quickly. This might just be my personal opinion but a few months seems fast, especially considering Catherine's trust issues.

Despite those things, this book is more than the surface level the synopsis gives us. It's centered around making mistakes and dealing with the consequences and growing from the experience. It also deals with the meaning of family and friends, reconciliation, and being in love. I highly recommend Until It Fades, especially to those who love the genre.