Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Best of the Bunch - May 2017


I finally got back into my reading groove and read 10 books this month, plus a couple novellas.  Out of everything that I read this month, my favorite goes to #Poser by Cambria Hebert.


From Goodreads:
Posers gonna pose 

I am a man who had nothing, but found everything.
I'll never go back to nothing ever again.
I vowed to protect her, and that's exactly what I'm gonna do.
The pictures I stumbled upon haunt me still, the secret I shoulder is heavy.
They say secrets put distance between two people, but the truth is far more destructive than keeping it will ever be.
I won't ever tell. She can't ever know.
When I look in the mirror my reflection is of who I'm afraid I'll become and not the man I am.
It makes me feel like a poser, no better than all the others pretending to be exactly who they aren't.
How does a man keep it together when everything is unraveling right here in his hands?
I didn't start any of this.
I never asked for it.
But it came knocking at my door.
When secrets and threats knock, I don't hide.
I open the door.
Because the best way to take down a poser is to be one.


My Review:
5 out of 5 stars

Wow! These books just keep getting better and better. I've enjoyed watching these characters grow throughout this series and am looking forward to where the next story will take them. 

I'm going to be honest, there were parts of this book that were extremely difficult to read. If you've read the previous books, you know what happened to Ivy. My heart broke for her while she struggled internally. I can't even begin to imagine going through something like that. I also had a little trouble with the decision Braeden made, but ultimately I understand why he decided what he did. 

Zack's POV in this book took me completely by surprise. I wasn't expecting that. It wasn't easy being inside his head and there were times that he actually made my skin crawl and my stomach lurch. Honestly, I don't believe Missy is much better than Zack, either. I don't think I have ever hated two characters as much as I hate those two. 

I loved getting little glimpses of Romeo and Rimmel. I am so proud of Braeden and Ivy for sticking together and fighting to get through the tough times instead of letting it tear them apart. You can feel the love they have for each other coming up from the pages and it is so sweet to read. The same can be said for Romeo and Rimmel. Those two couples have such strong love for each other. 

While this book dealt with some difficult topics, there is also so much love, loyalty, friendship, and sense of family. You really feel like you know these people and like you are a part of their tribe.


Book Links:


Author Links:

*Giveaway* Gone with the Ghost by Erin McCarthy

Displaying Gone With the Ghost final.jpg
Erin McCarthy
Gone with the Ghost
Murder by Design, Book 1
May 23, 2017

Blurb:
Bailey Burke has had a rough six months—it's not easy thinking your romantic overtures toward your best friend caused him to kill himself. Except that's exactly what happened. Ryan is very much dead, having shot himself with his own police-issued gun. Guilt and grief shouldn't cause hallucinations though, but six months after Ryan went into the ground, Bailey is freaking out and swearing his ghost is standing in her kitchen. Which he is…
Ryan claims he didn't commit suicide, but was murdered, and he needs Bailey to help him find his killer so he can earn his ticket out of purgatory. Which contrary to national opinion is not their hometown of Cleveland. Ryan's counting on a stairway to heaven, as opposed to wings, since that might be a little unmanly for a cop, even a dead one.
An expert in home design, with her own staging business, Bailey can tell you where to place a couch to improve flow and comfort, but solving a crime? Not her area of expertise. But with help from Ryan's former partner, Marner, she is unraveling the mystery of what happened to Ryan that day… and unwittingly putting herself in grave danger.

About the Author:
USA Today and New York Times Bestselling author Erin McCarthy first published in 2002 and has since written over seventy novels and novellas in teen fiction, new adult romance, paranormal, and contemporary romance. Erin is a RITA finalist and an ALA Reluctant Young Reader award recipient, and is both traditionally and indie published.

Author Links:
Website: http://www.erinmccarthy.net/
Newsletter: http://www.erinmccarthy.net/newsletter-2/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7941.Erin_McCarthy
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Erin-McCarthy/e/B001ILHF5I/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErinMcCarthyBooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorerin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorerinmccarthy/
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To enter to win an e-copy of Gone with the Ghost by Erin McCarthy, please leave a comment below with your email address and tell me what your favorite cozy mystery is.  You can also enter by sending an email to jackielizn@gmail.com with "cozy giveaway" in the subject line. The giveaway will be closed on June 4th, 2017 and a winner will be chosen randomly from the comments/emails.  

Monday, May 29, 2017

*Review* Gone with the Ghost by Erin McCarthy

Displaying Gone With the Ghost final.jpg


Synopsis:
Bailey Burke has had a rough six months—it’s not easy thinking your romantic overtures toward your best friend caused him to kill himself. Except that’s exactly what happened. Ryan is very much dead, having shot himself with his own police-issued gun. Guilt and grief shouldn’t cause hallucinations though, but six months after Ryan went into the ground, Bailey is freaking out and swearing his ghost is standing in her kitchen. Which he is…

Ryan claims he didn’t commit suicide, but was murdered, and he needs Bailey to help him find his killer so he can earn his ticket out of purgatory. Ryan’s counting on a stairway to heaven, as opposed to wings, since that might be a little unmanly for a cop, even a dead one.

An expert in home design, with her own staging business, Bailey can tell you where to place a couch to improve flow and comfort, but solving a crime? Not her area of expertise. But with help from Ryan’s former partner, Marner, she is unraveling the mystery of what happened to Ryan that day… and unwittingly putting herself in grave danger.


My Review:
4 out of 5 stars
★★★★☆

This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. The paranormal aspect of this book was done really well. The mystery behind the murder kept the pages turning and held my attention. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, something would happen and I would start to suspect someone else. The reveal of the killer took me by surprise since it was someone I hadn't suspected at all.

Bailey was really funny and I liked her character. I liked Ryan and Jake as well. There were a couple things that didn't really make sense to me and had me a little confused, but other than that, I enjoyed the book. I'm looking forward to reading future books in this series.  The ending of this book is set up perfectly to lead you into the next one and I'm interested to see what is going to happen next with these characters.

Buy links:
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2nBUcRW
B&N Nook: http://bit.ly/2mBpJOs
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2nOjYxQ
iBooks: http://apple.co/2pqRsn6
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2owvFwV

About the Author:
USA Today and New York Times Bestselling author Erin McCarthy first published in 2002 and has since written over seventy novels and novellas in teen fiction, new adult romance, paranormal, and contemporary romance. Erin is a RITA finalist and an ALA Reluctant Young Reader award recipient, and is both traditionally and indie published.

Author Links:

Sunday, May 28, 2017

Weekly Wrap-Up 5-28-17


Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!
Hosted by Tynga's Reviews


Sunday Post

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.


mailboxes
Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
LAST WEEK ON THE BLOG
THIS WEEK ON THE BLOG
  • Review - Gone with the Ghost by Erin McCarthy
  • Best of the Bunch - May 2017
  • Giveaway - Gone with the Ghost by Erin McCarthy
  • Book Tour + Review - Marriage is Pure Murder by Staci McLaughlin
  • Book Tour + Review - Bearly Departed by Meg Macy
  • My To-Be-Read List meme - June 2017 Voting
BOOKS IN MY MAILBOX
Kindle (Freebie)
13332528

OFF THE BLOG
This was a busy week for us.

I worked on Monday and Tuesday night.  Monday night was a little different for me.  I am always at one of the church campuses when we work childcare, but Monday night I was filling in for someone else.  It is a life group class that is held at the pastor's house.  They live in the rich part of town in this gigantic housing development.  I didn't think I was ever going to find their house, lol.  I took a left into the development and then after that it was a series of lefts and rights until I ended up in the cul-de-sac where their house is.  Whew.  I had to GPS myself in and out of there.  

On Wednesday, Chris had his follow-up with his orthodontist.  It is almost time for his braces to come off, so he is pretty excited about that.  After his appointment, we took him and Logan to the Pokemon League meeting.  It's where a group of people gather once or twice a week and play the Pokemon card game with each other.  Up until this point, Chris and Logan have just been collecting the cards but now they are interested in playing the card game, so the people in the league are teaching them how to play.  It's pretty neat.  Everyone there is really nice and Nintendo sends the leader promo stuff to pass out to everyone, so they get new cards every week and things like that.

On Thursday there was a luau themed dance at Chris and Logan's school.  Chris wanted to go, but Logan didn't.  After we dropped Chris off at the dance, Logan, myself, and my husband went out to Wendy's to get a Frosty treat.  We wanted to do something special with Logan since he wasn't going to the dance.  He apparently has some kids at school that make fun of him so he was so self-conscious about going to the dance, he ultimately decided not to go.  I had a talk with him about how he would be going for himself, to have fun... not for anyone else and that he shouldn't let other people stop him from doing things he wanted to do.  He still wasn't comfortable going though so we let him skip it. The school has 2 dances each year so he can always go to one next year.  It just absolutely breaks my heart that kids can be so mean though.  He's only 9.  :(  There's just no sense in it.  I'll never understand why kids feel the need to be so mean to others.

On Friday, we took Chris and Logan to Chick-fil-A for the Stuffed Animal Sleepover that they were having.  Once or twice a year, Chick-fil-A hosts the event where children can bring in their stuffed animals to have a "sleepover".  That night, after the restaurant is closed, the employees take all the stuffed animals and have them doing different things throughout the store, then post pictures of the animals' shenanigans on Facebook and Instagram.  This year though, they expanded it to where the animals went out into the city and got into different things.  They usually never leave the restaurant so that was pretty cool to see them out and about in different places.
We went back on Saturday morning to pick up their animals.  Each animal was sitting down at it's own place on the table and the employees had some goodies for the kids.  Each child got a free kids meal coupon, a pencil, a cow hat, and a printed picture of their animal somewhere in the restaurant.

Yesterday we took the kids to the bowling alley to use their summer pass that their Nana and Papaw got for them last week.  They get 3 free games plus free shoe rental every day until September 4th, which is an amazing deal for only $26 per child.  I had to work last night so Chris and Logan stayed home with and spent some time with Dad watching one of the Harry Potter movies.

Today we are mostly just going to hang around the house and relax.  This afternoon we are going to take Chris and Logan to a skating rink a couple cities away.  They are having an event for kids and are offering free admission and free skate rental.  It's a rink we've never been to, so we figured we'd go check it out.  Can't beat free, right?  ;)    
WEEKLY FUNNY
 :
I find it a little disturbing how very, very accurately this describes me.  

Saturday, May 27, 2017

*Review* Sew Deadly by Elizabeth Lynn Casey

6684180


Synopsis:
Ever since she moved to Sweet Briar, South Carolina, Yankee librarian Tori Sinclair has been the talk of the tiny town. But she's been so busy at work, winning over the sewing circle, and trying to forget her cheating ex that she hasn't even had time to baste together a pillow, let alone mind local gossip. Then she finds the hometown sweetheart dead at her back door...

Everyone believes the police investigator, who's just fixin' to link Tori to the murder in a love triangle gone bad. To clear her name, Tori will have to rely on her new sewing sisters and stitch together the truth- or be darned.


My Review:
3 out of 5 stars
★★★☆☆

I'm a little torn about this book.  All in all, I enjoyed the book, but there were also some things that bothered me about it as well.

The mystery in this book is definitely well written.  I loved that there were so many different things going on at once.  It kept my mind spinning and my attention on the story.  I read the book quickly because I wanted to find out how everything would turn out.  Just as I thought I had a lock on who was trying to sabtoge Tori and who was behind the murder, my suspicion would shift to someone else.  In the end, the people behind both acts completely caught me off guard.  I wasn't expecting that at all.  

I enjoyed most of the characters and was glad to see that some of them had a change of heart in their behavior towards Tori.  I'm interested to see where things go with Tori and Milo in the next book.  Little Lulu captured my heart.  

In regards to what bothered me, I was a little put off with some of the character's behavior toward Tori just because she was new to their town.  When you think of southern hospitality, you don't really think of people being mean or hateful, so that bothered me a little bit.  I also wish there had been a little bit more sleuthing done.  It seemed like the bulk of it happened at the end of the book.  I also wish the confrontation and the fall out with the killer hadn't been "behind the scenes".  I would have liked to see that play out.  

Overall though I enjoyed the book and will definitely be reading the next books in the series.  I'm interested to see what will happen next.  


Book Links:


Author Links:

*My To-Be-Read List Review* Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

15717943


Synopsis:
Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.


My Review:
5 out of 5 stars
★★★★★

I've heard a lot that it is best to go into Colleen's books blind, so that's what I did. I went into this book completely not knowing what to expect. I wasn't sure what to expect while reading this book, but wow. I went on one hell of an emotional roller coaster. I don't think I've ever had so many conflicting feelings all at once about a book before. There were parts of this book that I absolutely hated and there were parts that I loved so much.

I'm still wrapping my head around everything that happened to Sky. She went through some terrible, horrible, unspeakable, heartbreaking things that no one should ever have to endure. I am so proud of Sky though for her journey throughout the book and growing as a person and ultimately starting to heal.

I was torn back and forth about Holder for a while. I wasn't sure how I felt about him at first and some of the behaviors that he displayed were really confusing. Once everything started to come together though and answers were revealed, everything made sense. I love Holder and am so glad that he was there for Sky. He's exactly who she needed to be able to get through everything.

Even though this book deals with some difficult topics and some parts were really hard to read and get through, I'm still glad I read it. I'm also glad I read the book blind, going into it without knowing anything about it. I think that just makes the experience of reading a Colleen Hoover book that much better.



Book Links:
Goodreads
Amazon

Author Links:
Website
Facebook
Twitter

Friday, May 26, 2017

*Review* Title Wave by Lorna Barrett

27246127


Synopsis:
Tricia and Angelica leave Booktown behind for a pleasure cruise, but they’re going to need their life jackets because a murderer has also booked passage—in Lorna Barrett’s New York Times bestselling series.

While her bookstore, Haven’t Got a Clue, is rebuilt following a devastating fire, Tricia Miles and her sister, Angelica, decide to book a cruise for some much needed R&R. Naturally they choose a Mystery Lovers cruise, where they can ponder whodunnit in Adirondack chairs while sipping colorful drinks and soaking up some rays.

But the fun is cut short when a fellow passenger is murdered for real. Is the killer a famous mystery author, one of his fans, or a member of the ship’s crew? As Tricia tries to find the killer before they reach port, she may be cruising for a bruising...


My Review:
3 out of 5 stars

Title Wave is the first book I have read by this author, so I have not read the previous books in this series. I feel like this book can stand on it's own though since the characters are described and developed enough that I wasn't really confused about who everyone was. I thought it was really neat that there is a "Cast of Characters" in the front of the book. That proved to be really helpful as well.

I liked learning a little bit about Stoneham and enjoyed the descriptions of the cruise setting. A Mystery Lovers cruise was a really neat idea for a book setting and the author described everything well.

The reveal of the killer took me by surprise since it was someone that I wasn't suspecting. My only complaint is that I wish there had been a little more sleuthing. I also didn't really like Angelica's character. Tricia was okay for me.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Links:

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/1ntwfr3
BarnesNoble:  http://bit.ly/1PKfNj3
Books A Million:  http://bit.ly/1nDutEB
Chapters Indigo:  http://bit.ly/1nDutEB
Book Depository:  http://bit.ly/1NG1rsw
Indie Bound:  http://bit.ly/1NG1sg6




Author Links:

Thursday, May 25, 2017

*Promo* Gone with the Ghost by Erin McCarthy

Displaying Gone With the Ghost final.jpg
Erin McCarthy
Gone with the Ghost
Murder by Design, Book 1
May 23, 2017

Blurb:
Bailey Burke has had a rough six months—it's not easy thinking your romantic overtures toward your best friend caused him to kill himself. Except that's exactly what happened. Ryan is very much dead, having shot himself with his own police-issued gun. Guilt and grief shouldn't cause hallucinations though, but six months after Ryan went into the ground, Bailey is freaking out and swearing his ghost is standing in her kitchen. Which he is…
Ryan claims he didn't commit suicide, but was murdered, and he needs Bailey to help him find his killer so he can earn his ticket out of purgatory. Which contrary to national opinion is not their hometown of Cleveland. Ryan's counting on a stairway to heaven, as opposed to wings, since that might be a little unmanly for a cop, even a dead one.
An expert in home design, with her own staging business, Bailey can tell you where to place a couch to improve flow and comfort, but solving a crime? Not her area of expertise. But with help from Ryan's former partner, Marner, she is unraveling the mystery of what happened to Ryan that day… and unwittingly putting herself in grave danger.

Buy links:
Displaying Erin McCarthy.jpg
USA Today and New York Times Bestselling author Erin McCarthy first published in 2002 and has since written over seventy novels and novellas in teen fiction, new adult romance, paranormal, and contemporary romance. Erin is a RITA finalist and an ALA Reluctant Young Reader award recipient, and is both traditionally and indie published.

Author Links:
Website: http://www.erinmccarthy.net/
Newsletter: http://www.erinmccarthy.net/newsletter-2/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7941.Erin_McCarthy
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Erin-McCarthy/e/B001ILHF5I/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErinMcCarthyBooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorerin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorerinmccarthy/



*Release Boost* Swear by Adriana Locke




Title: Swear
Series: Landry Family #4
Author: Adriana Locke
Genre: Second Chance/Military Romance
Release Date: May 15, 2017



Blurb


Ellie Pagan has a list of reasons to stay away from Ford Landry.

It’s a mile long and was so much easier to stick to when he was a world away. Now that he’s standing in front of her—body hard and chiseled from a stint in the military, suit cut to perfection, and a smirk she could never resist—remembering all the reasons why just got a whole lot harder. 

Ford gets Ellie isn’t his biggest fan. He just doesn’t care.

Standing in front of him, giving him hell, she’s even prettier than he remembered. All he can think about is how she felt in his arms, the taste of her kiss, the sound of her giggle in the middle of the night. He may not know how to win her back, but he does know this: he may have let her go once, but that’s one mistake he won’t make again.





Join Adriana's group for lots of Release Week Fun!

JOIN HERE





Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited



Excerpt

“Are you saying I’m not glamorous?” I tease.
“Your sneakers with paint splattered over them are so, so glamorous, Ellie.”
He laughs, a warm, rich, captivating sound that feels like a balm to so many of my wounds. It doesn’t fix anything, obviously, but it does soothe me somehow.
“You always did have a way with words,” I joke, sighing for dramatic effect. 
“You should give me a chance to show you how much better I’ve gotten with words.” He shoots me a smile so sinful I have to look away.
“I bet you have.”
“I’ve gotten better at a lot of things,” he whispers.
He searches my eyes as if he’s asking for permission and in my amped-up state, I’m not thinking clearly … because I smile. It’s a tiny fissure in my persona that he takes full advantage of.
My back suctions against the paint behind it as Ford cages me in. One foot on the outside of each of mine, a hand planted on the wall on both sides of my face. My knees wobble the slightest bit as he leans down and feathers his lips over mine.
They’re as soft as I remember and my eyes flutter closed as my chin angles towards him, wanting more. We move together effortlessly, like there hasn’t been a decade since the last time we kissed.


Also Available


AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited



AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited



AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited



Author Bio


USA Today Bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys created by other authors, Adriana has created her own.

She resides in the Midwest with her husband, sons, and two dogs. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather's nice and there's always a piece of candy in her pocket.




Author Links

 
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