REVIEW: Lux by Courtney Cole

The dramatic series finale to Courtney Cole's bestselling Nocte trilogy!

Get LUX on Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo
Add LUX to your Goodreads TBR

My name is Calla Price and I’m broken.

My pieces are all around me, floating on the wind, even as I desperately try to grasp them.

Who is dead? Alive? Insane?

What is the truth?

I don’t know.

I do know this: The darkness is strangling me. With every breath, I choke on another lie.

My mind has protected me, but that shield will soon be lowered.

All will be revealed.
Every answer to every question.

It’s all been leading to this.

Don’t be afraid.
Be terrified.

Series reading order: Nocte (#1), Verum (#2), Initium (#2.5), Lux (#3).

Get NOCTE: Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo | Audible (Add on Goodreads)
Get VERUM: Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo | Audible (Add on Goodreads)
Get INITIUM: Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo (Add on Goodreads)
Get LUX: Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo (Add on Goodreads)

OUR REVIEW:

 Shel: After waiting for Lux and wondering how in the world Courtney Cole was going to finish off this trilogy, I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy and so I jumped right in. Let me prepare you...you might want to refresh your memory of where the last one left off and then you might want to prepare your self for some of this: Court: I did that too. I had to try to remember where we left off, but one thing I felt when I started reading was that things are so...blurry...that thin line between reality and dream, that it wasn't too bad once we got in there. Things were never as they seemed in one or two, so I didn't expect them to be that way in the beginning! 

Shel: Seriously. I had the weirdest sense of deja vu --haven't I read this before? Why does all of this feel so familiar? WHAT THE HELL, DUDE. WHAT. THE. HELL. So, fair warning, you're most likely going to feel the same. The good news is that you get answers....eventually. Sort of. GAHHH. Court: I felt so conflicted by everything I read. Who is sane? Who isn't? I sure didn't feel sane. But then...Calla's thoughts and dreams were so vivid, and the writing so epic...I still can't even fathom how Courtney wrote these puzzle pieces and fit them together. The cohesion of all of the storylines are so impressive.

Shel: I'm still processing how I feel about this novel and series. On the one hand, the way that Courtney Cole puts you in the head of Calla and truly makes you feel as out of sorts as she feels is pretty clever. On the other hand....I'm feeling unsettled with how it ends and how I felt during the duration of this third book. Court: I feel you babe. I feel...settled, and complete. I feel completed by the ending, and even though I've grown to love these characters, I am happy where they are right now. 

Shel: I know that the readers who've read the first two books will be eager to get this one read and I suppose my last piece of advice is be prepared to have your mind fucked. Court: In the absolutely best way possible! 

Courtney Cole is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist who would rather write than eat chocolate. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Business, but no amount of working in the corporate world could quell her urge to write.

Courtney was born and raised in Kansas, home of incredibly friendly people and the most horrendous weather on the planet. Because summer days were so hot, she grew up reading stacks of books... and when she didn't like the ending, she wrote her own.

Courtney has relocated to Florida where she writes beneath palm trees. To learn more about her, please visit her website.  To sign up for her newsletter and receive exclusive sneak peeks and super-fan perks, click here.

Review + EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY: Surviving Ice by K.A. Tucker

We are so excited to bring you the Release Week Blitz for K.A. Tucker's SURVIVING ICE! SURVIVING ICE is a standalone romantic suspense novel and is the fourth book in K.A. Tucker's Burying Water Series, published by Atria, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Grab your copy today!

 

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** Kobo ** IndieBound

  SURVIVING ICE Synopsis: The USA TODAY bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths series and Burying Water—which Kirkus Reviews called “a sexy, romantic, gangster-tinged page-turner”—returns with a new novel packed with romance, plot twists, and psychological suspense. Ivy Lee, a talented tattoo artist who spent the early part of her twenties on the move, is looking for a place to call home. She thinks she might have finally found it working in her uncle’s tattoo shop in San Francisco. But all that changes when a robbery turns deadly, compelling her to pack up her things yet again. When they need the best, they call him. That’s why Sebastian Riker is back in California, cleaning up the mess made after a tattoo shop owner with a penchant for blackmail got himself shot. But it’s impossible to get the answers he needs from a dead body, leaving him to look elsewhere. Namely, to the twenty-something-year-old niece who believes this was a random attack. Who needs to keep believing that until Sebastian finds what he’s searching for. Ivy has one foot out of San Francisco when a chance encounter with a stranger stalls her departure. She’s always been drawn to intense men, so it’s no wonder that she now finds a reason to stay after all, quickly intoxicated by his dark smile, his intimidating strength, and his quiet control. That is, until Ivy discovers that their encounter was no accident—and that their attraction could be her undoing.

OUR REVIEW:

Shel: I can't believe this series is over. I'm seriously making pouty faces at my computer screen (as if that would change anything) at the thought of no more books with these characters. I mean...doesn't Dakota need a book? Don't we want to get one last peek into the lives of all of the characters who've come before? Don't we want alllllllll the things when it comes to this series? Yes. Yes we do. It's all your fault for making this series so appealing, KA TUCKER. ALL YOUR FAULT. Court: I wouldn't be opposed to knowing more about Dakota. Boy, oh boy, that girl is one ball of fun isn't she! I loved the characters we were introduced to in this one, and can't agree with you more babe...whew. 

Shel: There's one tiny consolation and it's that she said in her acknowledgements that this was the last book "planned" in the series so I'm hoping that that might mean another "unplanned" book? I know. I know. I'm grasping at straws and honestly if the series ends as it is, I can't think of any reason to be disappointed or dissatisfied (other than what I've already mentioned)...I'll just have to patiently await an announcement for what's coming next. Court: We can just say it over and over, and maybe will it into truth that she'll write more in this series?!? Right. Maybe not her next book, but I wouldn't say no to more...p-p-please! :P

Shel: Anyway. I'm sure you want to know what made this series and this book so appealing? KA Tucker made each of these books so different. They were entwined because of the characters but each book had a different 'feel' to it--some were more suspenseful, others more angsty, others more emotional--but they all were built a story that stared and ended with character development. Each of these books made character development important, as important as the plot and it's something I noticed and appreciated. In the case of Surviving Ice, having these two bad ass characters (Ivy and Sebastian) get to know each other, learn to read the other despite masks they hid behind and the cool demeanor they gave off was entertaining. I loved that Tucker made Ivy cool and confident, with a touch of softness beneath it all, and that she was who she was and anyone who didn't like it could eff the eff off. I loved that Sebastian was also this hard to read bad ass who was loyal and caring and so good (despite what he might say at various points in the novel). It's not often that you see two characters who are such mirror images of each other, in many ways, work out so well in real life, or in fiction. These two were made for each other and their getting to know each other was interesting, entertaining, and sexy. Add in the interesting story of Sebastian's work, Ivy's extra-curricular art work, that both of these wanders are thinking find some permanence, and the secondary characters who enhance an already engaging plot and you'll find that you have a hard time putting this book down. Court: As a person who gets harassed often for my propensity to read "porn"...I hand up this novel as evidence that it is just not the case. The slow burn of the "action" in this one...I never thought would come. The set-up of this novel, the plot points, and the background story that was woven together was awesome. I enjoyed it so much, not only because I loved Ivy in previous novels...but then there was that military badass that pops up on the scene and blows us away too. He bordered on creepy at first, because we just didn't know one flipping thing about him....and then as Ivy and he took cracks at each other's armor, and we got something beautiful. I truly hope it isn't the end, because I stayed up late, late enjoying it. I love these characters and want to get to know them better...and I still love the extra elements that are in each one as Shel said, whether it be emotional or political, and that is definitely not something I thought I would ever love so much! 

Shel: As I mentioned before, I'm sad that this is the end of the series but I'm very much looking forward to seeing what KA Tucker writes next. Court: She's definitely made it on a go to list for us! So, cannot wait one bit for what is to come! Will wait...mostly patiently! 

And don’t miss the previous titles in the Burying Water Series!

BURYING WATER

Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iBooks ** Kobo ** IndieBound

BECOMING RAIN

Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iBooks ** Kobo ** IndieBound

 

CHASING RIVER

Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iBooks ** Kobo ** IndieBound

       

About K.A. Tucker: Born in small-town Ontario, K.A. Tucker published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.          

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Novel Goodreads ** Author Goodreads **

YouTube ** Pinterest ** Instagram

 

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REVIEW: The Seduction of Molly O'Flaherty and The Persuasion of Molly O'Flaherty by Sierra Simone

The Persuasion of Molly O'Flaherty

(The London Lovers Book 1)

Release Day: October 21st

Synopsis

One playboy billionaire. One heartbroken heiress. One sham marriage. What could go wrong? *** That’s what notorious playboy Silas Cecil-Coke thinks as he returns to England to persuade Molly O’Flaherty to marry him. Certainly, their brief fling last year ended in heartbreak (and a black eye,) but matters are different now. Molly must marry to save her company, and if she must, Silas is determined that he’ll be the man she chooses. But between the bitter memories and the competing suitors, Silas discovers that wooing a bride is no easy task, unless, of course, he decides to stop playing fair… ***The Persuasion of Molly O’Flaherty is a 40,000 word novella and is the first of the London Lovers duet. It is not necessary to read The Seduction of Molly O’Flaherty first. It is intended for mature audiences only.***  

Goodreads

OUR REVIEW: 

Shel: In my mind these two novellas come as a package deal because there's really no way to read one and not want to read the next one (and then, of course, count the days for the third book in this series). In The Seduction of Molly O'Flaherty we get a quick taste of how Molly and Silas (from the Markham series) move from partners in kink to something more; and in The Persuasion of Molly O'Flaherty, we get to see the aftermath of what happens when Silas makes a dumbass choice and Molly makes an uninformed (and in my opinion) even dumber dumbass choice. Trying to get to the bottom of what and how and why these mistakes happened (are happening) will keep you turning pages, as will the sexy times (which are as hot as all of her other books), and before you know it you'll have reached the end and will be begging for more. Court: RIGHT! The Seduction of Molly O'Flaherty is so promising, and fills you with hope...and is SO short! And then....holy crap...you start The Persuasion of Molly O'Flaherty and then those damn hopes are dashed...and it's 8 months later, and we're left wondering what the heck! I enjoy these characters so much, but it just hurts so much to see them make dumb choices!

Shel: In just a few short weeks the next (and final?) book in this series will be released, so the wait won't be long. If you like historical erotic romance and you don't have a lot of time to read, this series is a great option. Court: The writing is flawless, and just keeps the pages flying by...so this one is a definite go to.

Happy reading~~

Purchase Link

Amazon ~ http://amzn.to/1RiNZiC

Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card & Signed paperback Omnibus of The London Lovers Series (as soon as it becomes available)

  a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Coming Soon...

The Wedding of Molly O'Flaherty

(The London Lovers Book 2)

Release Date: November 23rd

 

Synopsis

One empty bed. One bold plan. One tragedy that changes everything. *** Silas Cecil-Coke is not a man who is easily dissuaded. So when Molly leaves his bed without a word of goodbye, he is even more determined to save her from her enemies and claim her as his bride. But neither of them are prepared for the betrayals and tragedies that await them before they can even approach the altar… ***The Wedding of Molly O’Flaherty is a 40,000 word novella and is the second of the London Lovers duet. It is intended for mature audiences only.***

Goodreads

 

Pre-Order Link

Amazon ~ http://amzn.to/1GlYk70  

About the Author

Sierra Simone is a former librarian who spent too much time reading romance novels at the information desk. She lives with her husband and family in Kansas City.

Connect with Sierra

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/blzNNn Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesierrasimone Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSierraSimone Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sierra-Simone/497450453680395?fref=ts Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/953848401332729/ Goodreads author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7369992.Sierra_Simone?from_search=true&search_version=service Goodreads fan group: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/166241-sierra-simone-books  

NEW: Scott Jenkins' Road to Wonderland by Charlie M. Matthews

Book: Scott Jenkins’ Road to Wonderland

Author: Charlie M Matthews

Genre: New Adult

Goodreads Book Link

Buy the Book

Amazon US - http://amzn.to/1GzRURM

Amazon UK - http://amzn.to/1Lle2Vn

Synopsis

Scott Jenkins is charming, smooth, full of ambition and he has plans. Plans that don't involve being a 19-year-old builder, working long hours at his father's construction company, hauling wheelbarrows or stacking bricks in an underpaid job. But as with most things in Scott's world, the dreams and ambitions he has set himself never really go to plan.

When Scott's best mate, Ethan Walker, hits rock bottom, everything changes overnight. After years of trying to figure out his purpose in life, he now knows what he has to do, and more importantly, who he has to save. Tiptoeing on the outskirts of a world filled with drugs and violence, Scott ends up walking down roads he never even knew existed. What was once a simple life, suddenly seems incredibly complicated - especially with the arrival of a forbidden love who is determined to make things even more difficult for him.

Follow Scott on his journey to Wonderland, where friendships are tested, relationships are destroyed and a dangerous woman leaves the guy who once thought he knew exactly, what he wanted, in the pits of despair.

Road to Wonderland Series book 5 (all books are standalone reads)

Author Bio

Charlie M Matthews is a hopeless romantic, lost in her own world of fairytales and adventures. A lover of art and painting, she'd happily hang up her everyday clothes in exchange for a paint smudged shirt. In the confines of her attic room, she is able to create a world that is unlike no other. Mixing fantasy and fiction to generate a piece of work that she could lose herself in.

Charlie is a mum of three, living on the outskirts of Oxfordshire. Born and raised in Reading, she switched the bright lights and traffic jams for a quiet life in the sticks a little over 5 years ago. Between school runs and generally just being a mum, you'll most likely find Charlie at the local hair spa. Flipping through magazines sporting the latest colour craze, or mixing colours and arranging up-do's, sparking her creative side.

With her wild imagination and passion for reading, Charlie stumbled upon a new love.

Writing...

What started as a distraction from the crazy thing that is 'life', soon became all too real. She no longer dreamt, about the day her words would be published for all to see because that day was finally happening.

Social Links

Facebook Twitter: @C_MMatthews

The Road to Wonderland Series:

     Izzy @ Amazon US       Paris @ Amazon US           Izzy @ Amazon UK      Paris @ Amazon UK                                          

 Ethan @ Amazon US     Max @ Amazon US

  Ethan @ Amazon UK    Max @ Amazon UK

       Giveaway

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NEW RELEASE: Wicked Restless by Ginger Scott

Join us in celebrating the release of WICKED RESTLESS by Ginger Scott!

WICKED RESTLESS

Very Mature YA Contemporary Romance

Scheduled to release: October 20, 2015

Goodreads

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Restless-Harper-Boys-Book-ebook/dp/B015UFJP5U/

Google:

https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=8xucCgAAQBAJ

iBooks:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/wicked-restless/id1044896250?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wicked-restless-ginger-scott/1122718400

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/wicked-restless

BLURB:

Andrew Harper grew up in a house marked by tragedy. His older brother Owen did his best to shelter him, but you can only be protected from life’s pain for so long. Eventually, you end up just feeling numb…and isolated.

Loneliness was the one constant in Andrew’s life. Until one girl, met by chance in a high school hallway, changed everything. Emma Burke was a mystery and all that was beautiful in this world, the only air Andrew ever wanted to breathe. She took the lonely away, and filled it with hope and color, and Andrew would do anything to keep her safe, happy and whole.

But sometimes, what feels good and right is what ends up hurting us the most. And when Andrew and Emma are faced with an impossible decision, Andrew is tested to see just how far he’s willing to go for the girl who owns his heart.

Cuts are deep.

Scars are left behind.

And revenge beckons.

When Andrew finally gets his chance, in college, five years after his first love broke him completely, he finds out old feelings don’t really disappear just because you say you hate someone. The more he tries to avenge all that he believes he lost, the more he uncovers the real story of what happened years before.

Love is wicked. But a restless heart is never satisfied beating on its own. Can Andrew and Emma make it right before it's too late, or will the ties that bind them now destroy their only chance at a future?

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4a501259536/?

About the Author:

Ginger Scott is an Amazon-bestselling author of eight young and new adult
romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, Blindness, How
We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, Wild
Reckless and The Girl I Was Before.

A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she
often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot
quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has
been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than
15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors,
scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work,
visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.

When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a
baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce
Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona
Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college
sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).

Social Media Links:
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/GingerScottAuthor
Twitter: @TheGingerScott
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/thegingerscott/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/GingerScottAuthor
Google: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+GingerScottAuthor/posts
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/GingerScott
Website: http://www.littlemisswrite.com