"Fire In You" by Jennifer L. Armentrout - Trailer Reveal

Some are born with fire in them.

✮✮✮ SECOND CHANCES, HOPE, & RED-HOT CHEMISTRY… FIRE IN YOU is coming! The final book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Wait For You World, don’t Miss Brock and Jillian’s passionate and richly moving story in this standalone contemporary romance releasing November 28, 2016! And check out the amazing trailer created by Book Candy Studios below! ✮✮✮

Let the FIRE IN YOU burn and preorder your copy today!

 

About FIRE IN YOU (Standalone Contemporary Romance Releasing November 28, 2016): From the # 1 New York Times and International bestselling author comes a richly moving story about heartbreak and guilt, second chances and hope. Full of familiar, fan-favorite characters and no two people more deserving of a happy ending, Fire In You will burn bright beyond the last page… Jillian Lima’s whole world was destroyed in a span of a few hours. The same night her childhood love, Brock ‘the Beast’ Mitchell, broke her heart, her life was irrevocably altered by the hand of a stranger with a gun. It takes six years to slowly glue together the shattered pieces of her life, but Jillian is finally ready to stop existing in a past full of pain and regret. She takes a job at her father’s martial arts Academy and she’s going out on her first date since a failed relationship that was more yuck than yum. Jillian is determined to start living. She just never expected Brock to be a part of her life again. But he’s firmly back in her life before she knows it, and not only is he older, he’s impossibly more handsome, more teasing and more everything. And when he sees Jillian, he’s no longer capable of thinking of her as the little girl who was his shadow growing up or the daughter of the man who gave him a second chance at life. He sees the woman who’d always been there for him, the one person who believed in him no matter what. Brock knows she’s the one he should’ve made his, and what begins as a tentative friendship quickly turns to red-hot chemistry that sparks a flame that burns brighter than lust. Falling for Brock again risks more than her heart, because when the sorrow-filled and guilt-ridden past resurfaces, and a web of lies threatens to rip them apart, the fallout could lay waste to everything they’ve fought to build together, and destroy the dreams of those they care most about.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2bxxrst 

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/2bVLCXB 

iBooks: http://apple.co/2bdWMWy

Pre-Order a digital or paperback copy of FIRE IN YOU by Jennifer L. Armentrout, writing as J.Lynn, AND fill out THIS FORM, and get an exclusive bonus scene-an Epilogue featuring POVs from all the major couples throughout the Wait For You World!

FIRE IN YOU will be available in paperback and eBook November 28th, 2016!

Just enter your name, age, email address, and the order number from your digial or paperback pre-order receipt at https://a.pgtb.me/M7KhMC to receive your exclusive FIRE IN YOU bonus scene! All entrants will receive the bonus scene on December 5th, 2016 through email using the email given when the entrant filled out THIS FORM.

 

   

About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. She spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Jennifer has won numerous awards, including the 2013 Reviewers Choice Award for Wait for You, the 2015 Editor’s Pick for Fall With Me, and the 2014/2015 Moerser-Jugendbuch- Jury award for Obsidian. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.

She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Website: https://jenniferlarmentrout.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jlarmentrout 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4476934.Jennifer_L_Armentrout

   

Review: "Unsportsmanlike Conduct" by Sophia Henry

The author of Delayed Penalty returns with the story of a free spirit who believes she’s found forever with a playboy on a singles cruise. Discover why Kelly Jamieson calls the Pilots Hockey series “fun and flirty, warm and sweet.” Kristen Katsaros wants a life full of adventure and laughter. After a difficult childhood, her motto is to live each day like it’s her last—because it just might be. So when Kristen’s parents send her on a post-grad singles cruise in the Caribbean to meet a Greek husband, she promptly hooks up with the hottest guy she’s ever met. Pasha’s decidedly not Greek, but Kristen gives him a pass because he’s got fun written all over his rock-hard abs. Pavel Gribov, the cocky playboy of the Detroit Pilots hockey team, can score any girl he wants. But when a teammate drags him on a singles cruise, he can’t resist the chance to help out a drop-dead gorgeous damsel in distress by pretending to be her boyfriend. Before long, the fake fling turns intimate, fueled by something much deeper than lust. Kristen and Pasha both agree to walk away once the cruise is over, but reality hits like a slap shot when Kristen finds out Pasha lied about everything. Just when she’s ready to start living again, the two stubborn survivors must decide if they can bear to lose the best thing that ever happened to either of them.

Thanks so much to Random House Publishing Group-Flirt for the free review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This will be sort of a stream of consciousness review, which I've never really tried before, so here goes:

When I first started reading this book, I didn't think I would really like it. The two main characters literally crashed into each other, which was how they first met - how cliche is that? And really, how realistic is it for someone to feel instant attraction when they crash into someone? I've crashed into people, probably more than I rightfully should have, and I have felt instant attraction to exactly... none of them. I have felt irritation, embarrassment, and downright pain, but lust? Nada! I should really start a poll, because I would love to know what percentage of married couples out there met from crashing into each other. And is there a higher likelihood of crashing into the love of your life if you live in a more densely populated country, like the Netherlands, than if you live in a more sparsely populated country like Canada? I've been to the Netherlands, and they have a much smaller "space bubble" than we have here. It is weird to have people constantly all up in your grill or breathing down your neck, when here, if I accidentally bump someone with my elbow, we're both instantly apologizing. Maybe that's where Canadians get the reputation for being polite, come to think of it! We don't typically crash into each other because there's so much space, and if we do, we feel like an idiot, because what kind of dumbass crashes into things when there's so much friggin' space?!    

Okay, enough of that. Now I have a thesis topic, if I ever needed to write one in the future. Actually, I'm pretty sure that will never happen, so go ahead and use this thesis topic if you feel the need, I won't hold it against you for stealing my idea. 

Back to the book. So yeah, not impressed with the "meet cute", or the fact that the two main characters enter into a "fake" relationship to scare off Kristin's potential suitor - isn't this idea getting a little overdone, too? Fortunately, things got better from there. I've never read a book where one of the main characters has a genetic disorder like cystic fibrosis. I genuinely felt empathy for Kristin and what she was going through with her disease, the idea of living life to the fullest and not getting tied down due to the inevitability of her early death. What I didn't really like was how the author kept repeating Kristin's thoughts on this. After she went on about her disease and how it affected her outlook on life during her inner monologues, oh, ten or so times, I felt like I had it figured out. 

Ditto with Pasha. He kept telling himself that he wasn't a good person, he wasn't good enough for Kristin, she'd be better off without him, she'd hate him when she found out what he'd done, and on and on. I get it, don't beat me over the head with it.

Still, something about these characters had me rooting for them, hoping that they would find their happily ever after. They had quite a few fun adventures during their cruise, and I enjoyed the banter between them. The steamy parts were also pretty good!  I would have loved a bit more background in regards to Kristin and Pasha's mutual friends, but then again, now I'm curious and want to go back and read the first books of the series.  I guess this will not be my last read from Sophia Henry!

My rating: 3.5 stars

Review: "In Ruins" by Danielle Pearl

She wanted to start again. To be someone---anyone---different . . . Freedom. When Carleigh Stanger thought of college, that was the word that came to mind. Freedom from her unhappy home life. Freedom from high school mistakes. Freedom from the memory of that terrible morning. Only instead of bringing a sweet escape, Carleigh's first campus party traps her in the scornful gaze of the last person she wants to see, Tucker Green. It wasn't long ago that being close to Carleigh was everything Tucker wanted. But that was before he realized she was just another scheming girl who'd do whatever it took to get her way. Even lie to the guy she claimed to love. Unfortunately while Tucker's brain remembers the pain Carleigh caused, his body only remembers the pleasure . . .

 Thank you to Forever Romance for the free review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

By now I've read many books in the New Adult genre, and I feel like I've experienced enough of both the good and bad to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. That said, I'm having a hard time deciding what I think about this book. On the one hand, I was fully engaged from beginning to end and had a hard time putting this one down! On the other hand, I felt a bit bogged down by the sheer length of the book, as well as the repetitiveness of the writing and the constant back and forth between the two main characters. There are also a couple of plot developments that felt a tad overdramatic to me.

"In Ruins" is written in dual POV style, and so we get to know what both Carleigh and Tucker are thinking and feeling both in the present time frame and through flashbacks to the year before when their friendship developed into a romance, and subsequently disintegrated into "ruins". This worked well for me on a few levels.  I loved seeing how Carl and Tuck moved from friends to more - it was both sweet and steamy, which you wouldn't think would be possible. Usually it's one or the other, but very rarely both, and I loved every minute of those particular flashbacks into the past.  The way the plot unfolded in this manner kept me reading, as I wanted to know exactly how a couple who had been so close as friends and lovers could abruptly become so cold to each other, and I was only given snippets at a time until closer to the end of the book.

In the present time period, Carl and Tuck have had their nasty breakup. They are attending the same college, though, and even have a class together. Despite their efforts to avoid each other, we continually get the play by play as they attend the same parties and get assigned to the same group for their marketing class. Must be a small university. We see them eyeing up the competition, and occasionally getting possessive. It's all very been-there-done-that, except for the mystery behind their breakup.

As for Carl and Tuck themselves, they are both pretty good characters. I liked Carl's outward confidence and how she took such great care of her brother. She also seemed to be a decent friend, even though she hadn't really told anyone the truth about her family situation.  And Tucker had all the usual desirable attributes of a romantic male lead, but with the added bonus of a sense of humour - he and Carl had some great banter going on between them. There were even some interesting secondary characters, along with hints of interesting plots to go along with them - do I sense a trilogy in the making? I guess I'll have to wait and see.

There were some elements of the plot that I really liked, and others, not so much. The situation that led to Carl's idea for her marketing class group project is definitely one that needs to be addressed, and I really like how the author handled this issue without becoming overly preachy. On the flip side, this led to another plot development that was a little over the top, and I didn't really love it.  It was handled rather oddly, too, and the resolution didn't sit right with me. I can't go into more detail than that, unfortunately, but I'd be interested to know what other readers thought of the last few chapters.

So, definitely plenty of potential here, and I'm super curious to see how Danielle Pearl's writing develops in the next little while - I'll for sure be checking out any future books by her.

My rating:

Release Day! "Rule Breaker" by Kat and Stone Bastion

We're thrilled to bring you pre-order news of Kat & Stone Bastion's exciting new adult, multicultural, surfing romance RULE BREAKER. PLUS be sure to visit, like, and comment on Mase's Facebook page: Mase on Maui - Stone is posting as Mase and randomly choosing one commenter each week to win a $10 gift card.

RULE BREAKER is set to release November 7, 2016!

Pre-order Your Copy... $2.99 Today | Releases 11.07.16 at $4.99 Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CAN | Amazon AU | iBooks Kobo pre-order will be up soon, Nook goes live by release day.

Cover Designer: Sarah Hansen, Okay Creations

Image provided by: Love N. Books

Photographer: Made by MK

Model: Jase Dean

Genre: New Adult Romance / Sports Romance / Multicultural and Interracial

Racial Tensions Flare as Hot as the Passion in RULE BREAKER, a Modern-day Romeo and Juliet Story

Leilani Kealoha wants to be set free. Of family expectations. Of generations of prejudice. Chafing at rules made by the proud Hawaiian men in her family, she yearns to discover herself and hungers to explore the world. Her adventuresome heart? Longs for something even greater, deeper. The last thing she expects is an East Coast haole surfer to hold the key to everything. Mason Price is done walking his parents’ path. Done with social acceptance—with cold politics. On a surfing quest to reinvent himself, Mase finds an exotic beauty standing on his towel. But it’s her feisty bargaining that catches him off guard. When he challenges her with a “Truth or Shots” drinking game, she unwittingly reveals more than she’d intended about herself…and him. The raw truth stuns him: She’s suffered like he has, is lost like he is—keeps secrets like he does. But will young love and shared situations be enough to conquer racial and cultural divides? Lines in the sand…were meant to be crossed. ***RULE BREAKER is a standalone, full-length new adult romance told in dual POV. Due to mature themes and adult language, this book is for those 18 and older.***

Remember to visit, like and comment on Mase's Facebook page: Mase on Maui for fun posts on surfing, Maui, and a chance to win a $10 gift card each week just by commenting.

Have You Joined Their Email Notification List? Keep informed of new releases by signing up: Kat & Stone Bastion's Email Subscription

One lucky subscriber wins an eBook of their choice from the backlist AND a $10 Amazon or B&N Gift Card with each announcement.

About Kat & Stone Bastion:

Kat Bastion won several awards for her bestselling debut novel Forged in Dreams and Magick. Kat and Stone Bastion’s bestselling first novel No Weddings and the No Weddings series were named Best of 2014 by multiple romance review blogs. When not defining love and redemption through scribed words, they enjoy spending their time mountain biking and hiking in the beautiful Sonoran Desert of Arizona.

Stay in touch with them on their social media pages...

Blog * Facebook * Kat's Twitter * Stone's Twitter * Website

Review: "Crushed" by Lauren Layne

Lauren Layne’s latest novel about the healing power of redemption tells the story of a crush gone wickedly wrong, proving that what you want isn’t always what you need. Growing up in New York, Michael St. Claire never expected to spend his twenties wearing cowboy boots. But that was before he learned about his real father, a total stranger with a family in Cedar Grove, Texas. Once in the Lone Star State, Michael meets Kristin Bellamy, who is exquisitely refined and everything Michael always thought he wanted in a woman. The only problem is that Kristin is dating Michael’s new half brother, Devon. Kristin’s mouthy, curvy sister Chloe has always been in love with Devon Patterson. So when Michael offers to help Chloe break up Devon and Kristin, Chloe agrees to a deal that seems too good to be true. Before long, Chloe finally gets her man, only to make a startling discovery: She no longer wants the guy she had to fight for—she wants the one who stood by her side. After all he and Chloe have been through, Michael swears he’s damaged goods. Can Chloe convince him that love is worth the risk?

 

Thank you to Penguin Random House/Flirt Publishing for the free review copy!

Once upon a time, I read this book with every intention of giving a review right away.  And then, something happened, I think along the lines of my computer was completely dead, and writing a review via phone was a little bit more difficult than I'd expected, and this poor review was placed on the back burner.  So, probably a year after I first read "Crushed", I decided to go back and read it over.  And you know what?  To my surprise, I enjoyed it even more the second time around!

Out of the three books I've read in this series, I'd have to say that "Crushed" is my favourite! And yes, it does surprise me to say this because I wasn't expecting to like Michael at all. And really, how are you supposed to like a romance novel if you can't stand the hero? Michael St. Claire is one of those guys who knows exactly how good he looks, and he knows how to work that to his advantage in order to get what he wants. He's also lived a very privileged life, getting everything his heart desired with little to no effort on his part.  Until Olivia, that is.  Olivia is the heroine of the previous book in this series, and Michael always felt he loved her.  Unfortunately, Olivia was together with Michael's best friend, Ethan, so Michael kept his true feelings hidden until that fateful day when things blew completely apart for everyone.

To make a long story short, Michael feels guilty about many things, and his behaviour, while on the surface seems self absorbed and focused on revenge, ultimately is based on his fear of rejection and his dwindling self worth. He hates himself, and after he grew on me a bit, it was really sad to see. I totally felt for the guy, dammit, and I normally can't stand guys like him!  It was a bit disconcerting, to say the least.

And then there's Chloe. Chloe is something else, I've gotta admit. I don't think I've ever seen another heroine like her, and I absolutely loved her from the first moment! I loved the banter between her and Michael, and how they really didn't like each other at first, and how they developed a strong friendship over time. No insta-love here, folks! The best part, though, is how Michael gradually helps Chloe build her self-esteem and confidence. Chloe knows she's smart, and kind, and has more substance than her sister, Kristin, but she also uses her sarcasm and snark to cover up her perceived inadequacies. She definitely has more in common with Michael in that regard than she realizes.

Although the plot was somewhat predictable, it did not take away my pleasure in reading it. If you've read the synopsis and found yourself thinking, "Been there, done that", think again, because Layne takes what has worked for readers in the past and makes it fresh and original with her strong characterizations. "Crushed" is such a fun read, and I absolutely recommend it to any fans of the New Adult genre looking for a little more substance than the norm.

My rating:

Review: "Paradise City" by CJ Duggan

There’s trouble waiting in Paradise Quiet country-girl Lexie Atkinson is about to get an education she’ll never forget. Sent from her family’s remote rural property to live in the glittering beachside Paradise City for her final school year, she is plunged into a place where looks can kill and vicious rumours can make or break you. Lexie just wants to fly under the radar … until she meets Luke Ballantine. Impulsive and charming, one thing is clear: Luke is sexier than any guy she has ever known. Suddenly good girl Lexie is breaking all the rules –getting detention, sneaking out to late-night parties, hanging out with boys – and then rumours start swirling … about her! Everything changes fast and Lexie will soon find out if Luke Ballantine is going to be good for her . . . or very, very bad?

Thanks to Hachette Australia via Netgalley for the free review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

There were things that I absolutely loved about this book, and others that rubbed me the wrong way, so overall I'm a bit conflicted.  Maybe I'll just break it down exactly like that:

Things I loved/liked:

• The Aussie slang words!  My parents are Australian, and I'll always identify certain words with them, and those words in turn bring up memories of going to school, saying them in complete ignorance of anything out of the ordinary, and having kids look at me with a blank stare or straight out asking me what the heck I was talking about.  These are the ones I saw in this book that struck a chord with me immediately:
• texta - we say felt pens here in Canada
• fringe - we say "bangs", although to me, "fringe" makes more sense!
• serviette - this is one my mom still uses.  Most people here would say "napkin".
• knickers - haha! I mean, I know what they are, but I don't think I've ever once used this word!
• lippy - we say "lipstick"
• ute - honestly, we don't even really have "utes" here in Canada.  This is truck country, and the bigger, the better!
• jumper - sweater, hoodie, cardigan maybe.  But "jumper" is usually only used in reference to cables. 
• chips - I think in Australia, when they say "chips", they are referring to what we call "french fries".  We only call them chips when they're served with fish.  Why we don't call them "fish 'n' fries", I'll never know.
• biro, doona, and bitumen - I actually had to look these ones up, I had no idea what the author was talking about!  Could be loosely translated as pen, duvet, and asphalt, 
• "up the duff" - I had a vague idea of this one, and because of the context I probably could have guessed, but even so, it made me laugh!
• Lexie's character was a lot of fun!  She was feisty, spontaneous, and bold - in other words, never a dull moment around her!
• Some of the plot elements were really well done.  There were a few surprises that I didn't predict, and I always enjoy a bit of unpredictability.

Things I hated/didn't like:

• My main issue was the pacing.  It felt very slow, with not a lot of action for the amount of pages there were.  The action that did occur was great, but it was interspersed with a lot of fluff that could be seriously edited down.
• Some of the characters were lacking development, namely Lexie's cousin Amanda.  Her behaviour was erratic and for the most part unexplained.  Was she dealing with severe PMS? Did something traumatic happen in her childhood?  Did she have an undiagnosed mental illness?  I don't have a clue, but I think a bit of explanation would have gone a long way in her regard.
• Likewise, Luke's character was not as well developed as I would have liked.  He was so hot and cold with Lexie, and even though some things were explained eventually, others were not.  I'd have to say I have mixed feeling when it comes to Luke Ballantine!

And then there was the sexual content.  Don't get me wrong, I don't necessarily have a problem with this, it was just more detail than I was expecting from a book about high school kids.  In this regard, "Paradise City" was definitely geared towards a more mature reader, and reminded me of some of the New Adult titles I've read.  Younger readers (or parents with younger readers) should be forewarned!

So yeah, both good and bad things.  Not sure if I will continue the series, but at this point I'd say that yes, I would like to see what happens to Lexie and Luke, especially considering how things were left off - bit of a cliffy, folks!

My rating:

Review: "Outside the Lines" by Lisa Desrochers

As the oldest son of a Chicago crime lord, Robert Delgado always knew how dangerous life could be. With his mother dead and his father in prison, he’s taking charge of his family’s safety—putting himself and his siblings in witness protection to hide out in a backwater Florida town. Fourth grade teacher Adri Wilson is worried about the new boy in her class. Sherm is quiet and evasive, especially when he’s around his even cagier older brother. Adri can’t help her attraction to Rob, or the urge to help them both in whatever way she can. But the Delgados have enemies on two sides of the mob—their father’s former crew and the rival family he helped take down. It’s only a matter of time before someone finds them. And if Rob isn’t careful, Adri could end up in the crossfire...

Thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for the free review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Well, now that I've had some time to mull over my thoughts about this book, I can say this: I didn't hate it, but I was hoping to love it more than I did, too. Which is too bad, because really, it has all the right ingredients for a unique and enjoyable New Adult read.  

As it says in the synopsis, Rob has moved with his family from Chicago to small town Florida under witness protection. I enjoyed this part of the plot, as it added a unique element of danger to Rob's situation. It also explained Rob's resistance to getting involved with Adri - he was very focused on finding out who was after him and his family, with the ultimate goal of making it back to the family business in Chicago.  Rob's intense focus on his goal was one of the main reasons I kept reading - I was really curious to see how the author would be able to give Rob and Adri their happily ever after, because I didn't see how a relationship between them would ever work.  Was Adri going to move to Chicago and become a mob boss' wife?  Or would Rob give up everything his family had built over the generations and be content to live a life of anonymity in Florida?  Neither scenario seemed plausible, and finding out how this would be resolved was my main impetus for reading to the end.

Unfortunately, my main complaint is a pretty big one - I didn't feel that the connection between the two main characters was real. Everything happened too quickly, and their chemistry was based on little more than looks. What drew Rob to Adri? She was pretty, innocent, and kind to his little brother. And I'm supposed to believe that Rob would risk exposure of his whole family just because Adri is nicer than the usual women he gets involved with? I wasn't buying it, sorry.  As for Adri, her whole naive, Mary Sue persona was a bit much for this reader.  I know she had reasons to explain her demeanor, but I've been there, read that, and I'm bored of it.

Although I wasn't completely satisfied by this book, I am looking forward to reading the next installments in the "On the Run" series.  I was super intrigued by some of the secondary characters in "Outside the Lines", especially Adri's friend Chuck - that guy better get some page time, he absolutely deserves it!  

My rating: 3 stars

Lia Riley's "With Every Breath" - Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway!

Hey everybody, welcome to the blog tour for Lia Riley's "With Every Breath"!  I'm so excited to be participating in this tour, I can't even tell you!!!  I've got a fabulous excerpt for you, a review, and an excellent giveaway, so make sure you read to the end of this post, 'cause you won't want to miss it!

WITH EVERY BREATH by Lia Riley (December 29, 2015; Forever Trade Paperback; Wanderlust)

BREATHE DEEP . . . AND JUMP IN

At the ends of the earth, Patagonia is a land where ambition trumps reason and the savage summit of La Aguja lures the most determined climbers. It's also the last spot a "play-it-safe girl" like Auden Woods expects to find herself. But she'll lace up her brand-new hiking boots and do whatever it takes to secure a dream job at an adventure magazine . . . even if it kills her. And it just might. When disaster strikes, her only chance at survival comes in the form of the surliest, sexiest mountaineer ever to come out of Scotland.

After a climbing accident cost him his brother, professional mountaineer Rhys MacAskill is at the end of his rope. Redemption is not in his future. That is, until a terrifying storm blows a budding journalist into his tent and it's up to him to make sure they both survive until morning. Despite the demons weighing on him, Rhys can't resist the temptation of the charming American and one wild night just isn't enough.

Auden and Rhys soon learn there are no shortcuts as they navigate their way between life, death, and atonement, and discover something they never expected—love.

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About the author:

After studying at the University of Montana-Missoula, Lia Riley scoured the world armed only with a backpack, overconfidence and a terrible sense of direction. When not torturing heroes (because c'mon, who doesn't love a good tortured hero?), Lia herds unruly chickens, camps, beach combs, daydreams about as-of-yet unwritten books, wades through a mile-high TBR pile and schemes yet another trip. She and her family live mostly in Northern California.

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Excerpt:

Even in my sleeping bag and dry shirt, her teeth chatter. If she balked at my request to undress, she’s going to go ape over this. Fuck it. There isn’t a choice.

“Auden.”

A thin furrow appears between her brows. “Yeah?”

My stomach tightens. “I’m going to warm you.”

“How?” Her eyes widen.

I can’t hold her gaze and say what I must. “Body‑to‑body contact.”

The world outside rips apart, but in the tent, a heavy silence reigns. She shifts to a half sit. “Oh, no, it’s OK. Look, I’ll be better in a few minutes.”

“You said yourself the cold makes your asthma worse.”

“Yes, but—”

“I know you don’t have a reason to trust me. In fact, if this were normal circumstances, I’d no’ recommend it. But here we are.”

“Nothing about today is normal.” She slowly reclines to the mat, folding her arms across her chest like a mummy, eyes screwed shut.

“No harm’s going to come to you.” It sounds like I’m making a solemn oath.

She opens one eye, gives me an unfathomable look, before closing it again. I’m not used to a woman regarding me like something to endure. Uncertainty weaves through me.

I ease beside her. “This’ll go easier if you turn to the side.” Away from me.

“Good idea.” She rolls to face the tent wall. Her features are hidden, but I can hear each uneven breath, the slightly shuddering inhalation followed by a pause before giving way to a raspy exhalation.

She remains still when I reach, warily securing a handhold on her ribs, their sudden rise and fall the only sign of her silent gasp. “This all right?”

She utters no reply only a brief nod and grips the sleeping bag tighter.

“Everything will be fine, I promise you.” I keep my voice cool, aloof. Give no sign that my chest aches, as if instead of a heart, a great wallowing drunk stumbles about. I never cuddle. Prior to my last girlfriend, Sadie, my dealings with the opposite sex were kept to simple and straightforward shags. Occasionally girls tried to compete with the mountains, but they never stood a chance.

Auden gives another tentative nod, and her scent invades my senses, simple and straightforward, a hint of sweat from exertion, combined with the fresh fragrance of rain. She begins to settle, her violent shiver attacks growing fewer and further between, same with her coughing fits. I keep my pose rigid, controlled, resisting the mad urge to relax into her body as blood pounds thickly in my ears. I can’t do this, be with another person, be human. I need to be a machine. A robot with one goal and one goal alone. To conquer a mountain like La Aguja there can be no room left inside me for any other desire.

When my mind quiets and other wants are eliminated, my attention naturally focuses on visualizing the climb. Once on the rock, this single-​minded concentration will translate effortlessly into correct hand- and footholds or gear placements. In order to climb like you are the only person in the world, you can’t care about anything other than living in the moment. There can be no significant other in the mind’s periphery wielding the power to distract.

Outside the wind shakes the nylon, redoubling its assault. Zipped tight, shut away from the world, we could be anywhere. I’d always appreciated that about tents, how once inside, you became the ruler of your own cramped kingdom of cast-​off socks, sleeping bags, and carefully chosen gear. This time in Valle del Frances, away from the scene at the main climbing camp, is meant to be a chance to establish a cease-​fire in the battle with myself. Being in a tent, in the wilderness, far from a world I don’t understand and that sure as hell doesn’t understand me, is calming.

Now Auden Woods has come along and triggered a whole new conflict with her icy blue eyes.

Icy blue eyes? Looks like prolonged abstinence brings out a lad’s poetic side. If she looks back, she’ll see my mouth twisted in a humorless smile.

She doesn’t, though. She’s too busy trembling, and so I gather her closer, an unfamiliar protective sensation welling inside me. “Better?” I whisper, more a hoarse croak than anything gallant.

“Yes,” she says, turning, her full lips slightly parting to offer the word.

We’re two strangers, haven’t even shaken hands, and yet our bodies press flush. Despite every intention, mine starts to react, and Christ, quick, what are unsexy topics to ponder? When in doubt, go for geology. The Andes are the result of which type of plate boundary?

Conquering La Aguja is going to take all my mental resources. The next few days are needed for getting focused, concentrated, and prepared for the challenge ahead. Auden shifts, drawing closer, and my next breath is almost as ragged as hers.

Aye, this girl is just the sort of distraction that could ruin everything.

My Review:

After first reading Lia Riley's debut, "Sideswiped" only a year and a half ago, she is quickly becoming one of my go-to contemporary romance authors!  I've really enjoyed every book I've read by her, but I'd have to say that "With Every Breath" is probably my favourite.

This book has everything I love in a good romance:  adventure, fantastic setting, characters with depth, plenty of steamy bits, drama and angst (but not overly much!), some nasty "villains", some sad, tragic parts, and a fast-paced plot.  It also had me laughing out loud here and there, which is definitely a bonus.  

I love how Auden is a bit unsure of herself in the beginning.  She's lacking in esteem and confidence, but she's willing to take a risk and really go beyond what she's comfortable with in order to make an impression at the magazine where she hopes to work.  Her gumption and ambition drew me to her, and I was really hoping for her to succeed.  (I also have a lot in common with her - in the beginning of the book, where Auden is experiencing the beginning stages of hypothermia?  Yep, been there! Only where Rhys, albeit rather grudgingly, invites Auden into his tent and nurses her back to health, my husband dumped me off in our tent and went fishing!  Not really my best memory!)  And Rhys, he's not perfect either, but I love how he's got a bit of mystery surrounding him, and how little bits are revealed throughout the story until the picture is more clear.  The Scottish accent and climber's body certainly don't hurt! 

My biggest regret is reading this book too quickly and having it end too soon.  Basically I just wanted more.  More Rhys, more Auden, they were both awesome.  Will they appear in one of Riley's future books?  I sure hope so!  (Although I don't want to hear about Auden's sister ever again - she is evil and anything else I want to say about her is not really appropriate for polite conversation!)

My rating:

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Review: "Trade Me" by Courtney Milan

Tina Chen just wants a degree and a job, so her parents never have to worry about making rent again. She has no time for Blake Reynolds, the sexy billionaire who stands to inherit Cyclone Technology. But when he makes an off-hand comment about what it means to be poor, she loses her cool and tells him he couldn’t last a month living her life. To her shock, Blake offers her a trade: She’ll get his income, his house, his car. In exchange, he’ll work her hours and send money home to her family. No expectations; no future obligations. But before long, they’re trading not just lives, but secrets, kisses, and heated nights together. No expectations might break Tina’s heart...but Blake’s secrets could ruin her life.

Thank you to Victory Editing via Netgalley for the free review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Did I like this book?

You know, the things I liked about this book, I really LOVED, but I still can't help but feel I wanted more.  

Individually, Tina and Blake are wonderful characters!  Tina's back story is truly unique, especially in the world of New Adult romances.  I loved her mother, and more specifically their relationship - it was great to see how things between them evolved throughout the book.  Likewise with Blake and his father - awesome relationship, fantastic story development, loved everything about them.  But, Tina and Blake together...I don't know.  I think there was a bit too much tell and very little show.  I just wasn't feeling the love, you know what I mean?  Their chemistry jumped off the page when it was there, but it just wasn't there often enough for me to be buying into it, if that makes any sense.  

Will you like this book?

Yeah, it's good.  Romance readers and fans of New Adult will probably enjoy this one, and similarly, if you've read and liked anything by Courtney Milan, you will definitely want to read "Trade Me", even just to see how the author crosses over genres.

Will I read more by this author?

This is my first book by Courtney Milan, and I am seriously intrigued!  She is known for writing historical romance, and although I used to read a lot in that genre, I haven't in quite a while.  Seeing that the writing and character development were real strengths of this book, I would love to give historical romance another go if only to try some of this author's earlier titles.  And, although I wasn't "shipping" "Blina" (some new book blogger lingo I'm trying out, you like?) as much as I would have liked, I'm still curious enough about the Cyclone series to give the second book, "Hold Me", a try as soon as I can get my hands on it.        

My rating:  3.5 stars