Best of the Bunch - March 2017

This was a bit of a slow reading month for me, but I did read some really great books this month.  Out of all the books that I read in March, my favorite was Operation Prom Date by Cindi Madsen.

Operation Prom Date is a book that will have you laughing, swooning, and wanting more of these characters.  

From Goodreads:

Kate ships tons of fictional couples, but IRL her OTP is her and Mick, the hot quarterback she’s crushed on since, like, forever. With only one semester left of senior year, it’s now or never if she wants to land him in time for prom. Since she’s flirtationally challenged, she enlists Cooper Callihan, the guy who turned popular seemingly overnight but who used to be a good friend. 

Cooper lives and breathes rowing, but his partner just broke his wrist. When he remembers Kate’s good with a set of oars, he strikes a deal: help him train, and he’ll make sure her crush notices her. Only he didn’t know how addicting spending time with her would be. Or how the more successful the Operation is, the more jealousy he experiences. 

The mission has been set. The troops have their marching orders. But what if the target is the wrong guy all along?

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains stargazing, accidental swimming, and poker swindling. This kissing practice will melt your ereader…and give you a new couple to ship.

My Review:

5 out of 5 stars

★★★★★

I most definitely have a new couple to ship now - Kaper!  This was such a cute, sweet friends to lovers story.  Kate and Cooper are both enjoyable characters.  I had an idea of where the story was going, but it was still great to get to see their relationship go from friends to more.  It was a steady build-up and was not rushed at all.  I loved that Kate wasn't this perfect person.  She was awkward at times and didn't have a filter, but she owned who she was and didn't make any apologies for it.  I also really enjoyed her fandom shipping.  Cooper was a great guy and the perfect person to be with Kate.  I really loved this story and am looking forward to reading the next one in this series. 

Book Links:

Goodreads

Amazon

iBooks

B&N

*Cover Reveal* Confessions of a Former Puck Bunny by Cindi Madsen

ABOUT CONFESSIONS OF A FORMER PUCK BUNNY

Taking Shots #4

Confession #1: I used to be a puck bunny, but after a hockey player broke my heart, I gave up all things hockey. Now I'm just focused on finding a way to pass my math class so I can graduate college.

Confession #2: Ryder "Ox" Maddox's deep, sexy voice sends fuzzy tingles through my entire body, and I'm powerless to stop it. Which is a big problem since the hot, surprisingly funny hockey player is my new math tutor.

Confession #3: I can't stop thinking about how ripped Ryder is from all his hockey training, and how fun it'd be to cross lines with him.

Confession #4: I kissed a hockey player and I liked it.

Confession #5: If I'm not careful, I might relapse and fall for Ryder, and then I'll be totally pucked.

CONFESSIONS OF A FORMER PUCK BUNNY RELEASES MAY 8, 2017

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2mNEbYH

Preorder: http://amzn.to/2nepQ2U

ABOUT CINDI MADSEN

Cindi Madsen is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and young adult novels. She sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting, revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a pretty new pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music and dancing and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.

You can visit Cindi at: www.cindimadsen.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter to get all the up-to-date information on her books.

Follow her on Twitter @cindimadsen.

Connect with Cindi Madsen

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

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*Top 10 Tuesday* 10 authors I've met or would like to meet!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish

This week's theme is about meeting authors.  Here is my list of authors I would like to meet or have already met.  

Already met

1. Nicholas Sparks

I met Nicholas Sparks in 2012.  He did a signing at my local library.  We live in a pretty small city compared to the cities he usually does signings in in North Carolina, like Charlotte, Raleigh, etc so the turn out was crazy!  I didn't get to interact with him very much though.  The line was so long and it took so long to get through it that he was actually running late for an event he had scheduled later on that night so his "team" was keeping interaction to a minimum.  He signed the book, took a picture, and then we had to move on.  I've been a huge fan of his books for a long time though so I was still so excited to have been able to meet him.  <3

2. Tim Myers

I met Tim Myers in either 2007 or 2008.  I don't remember when exactly.  He did a signing at our local Barnes & Noble store.  He is a cozy mystery author that lives right here in the same city as me!  I always thought that was really cool.  My mother-in-law (pictured next to me) is a fan also and is the one who introduced me to his books, so we went to the signing together.  My son is looking up at us like, "Uh, who is this guy?" LOL!  

Would like to meet one day

3. RC Boldt

RC Boldt approached me for a review at the end of 2015 and I have been hooked on her books ever since!  She is such a sweet person, not to mention hilarious, so I'm sure she'd be a blast to hang out with!  I'd love to meet her one day.  She's actually been at a couple signings I had planned on going to, but life had other plans and I had to miss out.  Grr!  I'll make it one of these days, haha.  

4. Jennifer L Allen

Jennifer is another author that was at a couple of the signings I was supposed to attend, but again, I ended up missing out.  I love her books so I'm anxious to get to meet her one day.  :D

5. Cambria Hebert

I've heard a lot of people talking about Cambria's Hashtag series and finally decided to read #Nerd last year.  I've been hooked ever since!  She will be at a signing close to me in August 2018 so I'm making plans to go to that one so I might get to meet her then.  :D

6. Adriana Locke

Bucket list author! <3  I've loved every book I've ever read of hers and they just keep getting better and better.  Maybe one day!  

7. Faith Andrews

Faith is one of the very first indie authors I discovered and I've been a fan ever since.  She's such a sweet and genuine person.  I'd love to get to meet her one day.  <3

8. Colleen Hoover

Oh my goodness, I've been a fan of Colleen's for a couple years now and am hooked on her books.  I'd just die if I got to meet her.  <3

9. Molly E. Lee

She is one of the newer authors I discovered last year but it feels like I have been a fan of hers forever!  Her books are amazing.  She's such a cool person.  I'd love to meet her one day.  

10. Rebecca Yarros

Another bucket list author!  She was at a signing I had tickets to last year but last minute I ended up not being able to go.  Hopefully I'll have another chance to meet her one of these days.  :D 

Have you met any of your favorite authors?  Who would you like the chance to meet one day?

*Review* Death in Advertising by Laura Bradford

Synopsis:

When Tobi Tobias decided to open her own ad agency, having to moonlight in a pet shop wasn’t part of her vision . . . of course, neither was murder.

Sometimes when opportunity knocks, the door you open leads to a closet. That’s certainly the case for Tobi, whose weekends spent cleaning cages in her best friend’s pet shop may soon be over. She’s just landed her first big break—Zander Closet Company needs a catchy campaign slogan ASAP, and Tobi thinks she’s got the right hook to knock ’em dead: “When we’re done, even your skeletons will have a place.”

But when a real dead body topples out of a showcase closet, she’s about to discover there is such a thing as bad publicity. To save her fledgling business and not get killed by the competition, Tobi takes on a new pet project: solving the murder. But with a stressed-out parrot as the only witness to the crime, Tobi will really have to wing it to put the cagey killer behind bars.

My Review:

5 out of 5 stars

★★★★★

Death in Advertising was my first book by Laura Bradford but I am certain it will NOT be my last.  I'm definitely going to be reading her other books.  I absolutely loved this book!  This is a very promising and wonderful start to this series.  The author has created a wonderful cast of characters that I'm hoping will continue to make appearances in later books in the series.  I really enjoyed Tobi's character.  I found myself laughing out loud at a lot of her inner dialogue.  She is such a fun person and is very easy to relate to.  I picture Tobi as someone that I could definitely be friends with.  She has a wonderful support system in her friends and grandfather.  I really liked seeing her relationships with those people.  Andy is another character that I liked a lot and am hoping (fingers crossed) things go well and we'll see him in future books.  The mystery surrounding the murder really drew me in.  You definitely learn while reading this book that things aren't always as they appear to be and you shouldn't make assumptions.  There were a few different suspects to choose from and the killer ended up being someone that I wouldn't have suspected at all.  Everything was explained in a way that made sense and the background storylines were wrapped up as well.  I'm so glad I decided to read this book.  I've found a new go-to author for mysteries. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  


Book Links: 
Amazon.com 
Apple iBookstore 
Barnes & Noble 

You can visit Laura Bradford's website here

*Release Blitz* Waiting to Breathe by Alyson Reynolds

Title: Waiting to Breathe

Series: Waiting Duet #1

Author: Alyson Reynolds

Genre: New Adult/Contemporary Romance

Release Date: March 21, 2017

Blurb

She's broken.

He's lost.

Olivia Crawford had been through the ringer. All she wants is to start over without any complications or anyone figuring out her secrets. When her twin brother Finn convinces her to move back home and finish her degree at his school, it's just the push she needs to start over. 

Nathaniel Ford is the golden boy of SCU. He seems like he has it all, perfect family, awesome friends and fraternity brothers, and a few buildings on campus with his last name on them. But things aren't always what they seem.

From the first time Nate and Olivia bump into each other, literally, he wants more of her feisty attitude, but Olivia throws more walls up with each step he takes closer, and he isn't sure he can break them down fast enough.

ADD TO GOODREADS


My Review:
3 out of 5 stars

This was my first book by this author. The story moved at a steady pace and I really liked Nate's character. He was such a sweet guy. My only issue was that, even though the chapters are labeled with whose POV it is in, I found it really hard at times to tell the difference between the two characters so that made it difficult to read sometimes. I think that is ultimately what kept me from connecting more with the story.

Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS

Author Bio

Romance writer. Wife. Mother of two. Avid reader. Queen of multitasking.

Originally from the south, Alyson likes to incorporate what she knows into her books. She's lived not only on the east coast, but the west coast and a few places in between. Alyson loves sharing stories about her crazy family to anyone who will listen. Her guilty pleasures consist of coffee, country music, brunch, breaking the rules, and pedicures. And she will always be a daddy's girl.

When Alyson isn't chasing around her two kiddos, she's normally writing. Or reading. Her Kindle library is out of control. Alyson writes mainly contemporary novels and novellas with a bit of new adult mixed in.

Author Links

FACEBOOK

AMAZON
WEBSITE
GOODREADS

*Review* The Final Vow by Amanda Flower

Synopsis:

Summer weddings in Barton Farm’s picturesque church are standard procedure for museum director Kelsey Cambridge. At least they were until the Cherry Foundation, which supports the museum, orders Kelsey to host her ex-husband’s wedding on Farm grounds.

Ambitious wedding planner Vianna Pine is determined to make the bride's Civil War-themed wedding perfect. But each time Vianna's vision threatens the integrity and safety of the Farm, Kelsey has to intervene. 

When Kelsey finds Vianna's dead body at the foot of the church steps, everyone's plans fall apart. With both the wedding and Barton Farm at risk of being permanently shut down, Kelsey has to work hard to save her own happily ever after.  


My Review:
3 out of 5 stars
★★★☆☆

This was my first book by this author so I haven't read the previous two books in this Living History Museum series.  At the beginning of the book, I felt like I was missing some things.  I felt like there was some history from the previous books that would have given me a better understanding of this one if I had read them.  I did enjoy the idea of the Living History Museum though.  I thought that was a really unique setting.  I enjoyed the murder mystery portion of this book.  There are a number of suspects to choose from and the killer ended up being someone I didn't suspect at all.  The suspense kept me interested and wanting to know how everything would turn out.  I found a few of the characters very unlikable though so I think that lowered my enjoyment of the book a little.  
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.  

Sunday Post/Mailbox Monday 3/19/17

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.

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

• Cover Reveal - Nashville Secrets series by Stacey Lewis
• Release Blitz + Review for Garden of Goodbyes by Faith Andrews
• Review for Operation Prom Date by Cindi Madsen
• Book Tour + Review for Pressed to Death by Kirsten Weiss

This week on the blog

• Release Blitz + Review for Waiting to Breathe by Alyson Reynolds
• Reviews for a couple books on my TBR
• Book Blogger Hop
• Possibly a new meme I'm thinking of creating

books in my mailbox

Bought (Kindle)

Don't Hold Back - Missy Johnson

I Want My Epidural Back - Karen Alpert

Bought (Paperback/Hardback)

Signed copies of Slammed, Losing Hope, and Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover

A friend got me Change of Heart and Right Place, Right Time by Jennifer L Allen signed at a signing she went to recently

Won

Man Candy by Melanie Harlow

For Review

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing review copies of these books!

Til Dirt Do Us Part - Edith Maxwell

All Signs Point to Murder - Connie di Marco

Hospitality and Homicide - Lynn Cahoon

No Charm Intended - Mollie Cox Bryan

Life update

I haven't really told anyone this since I'm a pretty private person, but I've been making changes to work towards losing weight and getting healthy.  I've lost 22 pounds over the last couple months.  I go back to my doctor on Tuesday so I'll have an update then on if I've lost any more since my last appointment two months ago.  I'm starting to notice a difference in the way my clothes fit and in the way I look, so that's really exciting.  I have more energy and I don't get tired as fast as I used to.  I just have to remember to be patient, because it's a slow process. I'm excited to see where these next few months take me.  

I decided to redo the shelves for my signed books last night.  I really like how they turned out.  What do you think?

This is the top shelf with signed books by Adriana Locke, RC Boldt, Elisabeth Grace, Faith Andrews, and Allie Able.  I have 2 mugs with book covers by RC Boldt.  You'll have to ignore the little Chick-fil-A cow.  My son thought it would be cute to add that, haha.  :)  I also have a star jar inspired by Colleen Hoover's book Slammed.

This is the middle shelf and has signed books by Stacey Lewis, Cambria Hebert, B.A Wolfe, Rebecca Yarros, Molly E. Lee, and Jennifer L Allen.  I have the Bookworm Box squishy book, a Romeo & Rimmel Valentine's Day card and the Bath&Body Works #Hashtag inspired sanitizer.  On the end is a Best Book B*tches glass that was a gift from a book friend.

The third shelf is my signed Colleen Hoover shelf.  I'm only missing one of her books.  There is a Slammed inspired keychain and another star jar, both made by the wonderful Jenn at Bookish Crafts by Jenn.

*Book Tour* Pressed to Death by Kirsten Weiss

Pressed to Death by Kirsten Weiss

 

Pressed to Death (A Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Mystery)

2nd in Series

Publisher: Midnight Ink (March 8, 2017)

Paperback: 336 pages

ISBN-13: 978-0738750316

Kindle ASIN: B01FOR0Z7G

Paranormal museum owner Maddie Kosloski thinks she has the perfect paranormal exhibit for the harvest festival—a haunted grape press. But when she’s accused of stealing the press, and her accuser is found murdered, all eyes turn to Maddie. Maddie knows well the perils of amateur sleuthing and is reluctant to get involved. But her mother insists she investigate. Does her mom have a secret agenda? Or is she somehow connected to the murder? Facing down danger and her own over-active imagination, Maddie must unearth the killer before she becomes the next ghost to haunt her museum.

My Review:

3 out of 5 stars

This was my first book by this author.  This was also my first time ever reading a paranormal cozy mystery.  I normally tend to avoid the paranormal genre, but this book really sounded interesting and I'm glad I decided to give it a try.  The paranormal museum was such a unique idea and I really enjoyed that aspect of the story.  The paranormal wasn't too overdone and fit just right in with the storyline.  I also liked that you aren't really entirely certain if something paranormal is going on or not.  That really adds to the mystery and intrigue of things.  The pacing was a little slow at times but there are enough suspects and questions surrounding the murder to keep you intrigued as to how things are going to turn out.  Maddie was an enjoyable main character and I also liked GD the cat.  I really disliked the police detective Laurel though -- she was really mean.  All in all, I enjoyed the story and will go back and read the first book in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kirsten Weiss grew up in San Mateo, California. After getting her MBA, she joined the Peace Corps, starting an international career that took her around the fringes of the defunct USSR and into the Afghan war zone. Her experiences abroad not only gave her glimpses into the darker side of human nature, but also sparked an interest in the effects of mysticism and mythology, and how both are woven into our daily lives.

She writes paranormal mystery and suspense, blending her experiences and imagination to create vivid worlds of magic and mayhem.

Kirsten has never met a dessert she didn't like, and her guilty pleasures are watching ghost Whisperer re-runs and drinking good wine.

Author Links
Follow her on Twitter @KirstenWeiss, or on her Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/metaphysicaldetective or at her blog at http://kirstenweiss.com

Purchase Links:
Amazon
B&N

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Tour Participants
March 6 – Bibliophile Reviews - REVIEW
March 6 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – GUEST POST
March 7 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
March 7 – T's Stuff – REVIEW, INTERVIEW
March 8 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 9 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
March 10 – Queen of All She Reads – REVIEW
March 11 – Curling up by the Fire – REVIEW
March 12 – Island Confidential – INTERVIEW
March 13 – The Book's the Thing – REVIEW
March 14 – Nadaness In Motion – REVIEW
March 15 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW
March 16 – Bea's Book Nook – REVIEW
March 16 – Bookworm Mom - REVIEW
March 17 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
March 18 – Mystery Playground – GUEST POST
March 19 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT


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*Review* Operation Prom Date by Cindi Madsen

Synopsis:

Kate ships tons of fictional couples, but IRL her OTP is her and Mick, the hot quarterback she’s crushed on since, like, forever. With only one semester left of senior year, it’s now or never if she wants to land him in time for prom. Since she’s flirtationally challenged, she enlists Cooper Callihan, the guy who turned popular seemingly overnight but who used to be a good friend. 

Cooper lives and breathes rowing, but his partner just broke his wrist. When he remembers Kate’s good with a set of oars, he strikes a deal: help him train, and he’ll make sure her crush notices her. Only he didn’t know how addicting spending time with her would be. Or how the more successful the Operation is, the more jealousy he experiences. 

The mission has been set. The troops have their marching orders. But what if the target is the wrong guy all along?

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains stargazing, accidental swimming, and poker swindling. This kissing practice will melt your ereader…and give you a new couple to ship.

My Review:

5 out of 5 stars

★★★★★

I most definitely have a new couple to ship now - Kaper!  This was such a cute, sweet friends to lovers story.  Kate and Cooper are both enjoyable characters.  I had an idea of where the story was going, but it was still great to get to see their relationship go from friends to more.  It was a steady build-up and was not rushed at all.  I loved that Kate wasn't this perfect person.  She was awkward at times and didn't have a filter, but she owned who she was and didn't make any apologies for it.  I also really enjoyed her fandom shipping.  Cooper was a great guy and the perfect person to be with Kate.  I really loved this story and am looking forward to reading the next one in this series. 

I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.   

Book links:

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes&Noble

iBooks

*Release Blitz* Garden of Goodbyes by Faith Andrews

Cover Design: Marisa-rose Shor / Cover Me Darling

Release Date: March 13, 2017

 

Synopsis

Loss, betrayal, addiction . . . on their own, each of these heartaches can break you, but mix them all together and the concoction will ruin you. When I closed the door on my past I didn’t expect it to come back and haunt me. But when you’re the sole person who can save the only man you’ve ever loved, you rush through that door, face your fears, and pray for the best. Only, anything good has been long forgotten. In its place is destruction, devastation and enough regret to last a lifetime. I was appalled when she called for my help. I went willingly in hopes to make things right. But I never expected this. A broken man, a hopeless future, the beginning of the end. She’s to blame for the mess of a man in front of me and I’m to blame for walking away. Can things ever go back to the normal the three of us once knew? Or am I too late to fix the damage we’ve caused together?

 

Goodreads

Amazon US ~ http://amzn.to/2mAcOQ0

Amazon UK ~ http://amzn.to/2mfpN6y

Amazon CA ~ http://amzn.to/2ncXjPy

Amazon AU ~ http://amzn.to/2mWVru0

My Review:
5 out of 5 stars
★★★★★
I finished this book last night and even hours later, I'm still not even really sure what to say about this book and how to put into words how I feel. This book was so different from what I've come to expect from Faith, but she wrote this book just as well, if not even better, than her others. This was such a raw, angsty, heartbreaking book. It deals with some really difficult issues but Faith handled it very well. You could really feel the characters' pain and struggle. My heart broke for Eden....just absolutely shattered. She didn't deserve any of the pain and betrayal that she went through. I found it really hard at times to like or feel any sympathy for Violet, but then again there were times that I felt bad for her and in the end, I think she ended up redeeming herself. I'm not even sure where to start with Lennox. His journey was a rough and heartbreaking one. I think these characters are going to stick with me for a really long time.

   

Giveaway

Winner's Choice of a $50 Amazon Gift Card & Signed Paperback of Garden of Goodbyes OR a 6 Month KU Subscription

 

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Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0cba4250469/?

 

 

About the Author

Faith Andrews is living out her dream right outside the greatest city in the world, New York City. Happily married to her high school sweetheart, she is the mother of two beautiful and wild daughters, and a furry Yorkie son named Rocco Giovanni. When she’s not tapping her toes to a Mumford & Sons tune or busy being a dance mom, her nose is stuck in a book or she’s sitting behind the laptop, creating her next swoon worthy book boyfriend. Coffee addict, lover of wine and cheese, and sucker for concerts and Netflix, Faith believes in love at first sight and happily ever after.    

Connect with Faith Andrews

Newsletter Sign Up: http://bit.ly/2lJQ9RM

Facebook Author Page: http://bit.ly/2ma1DeI

Facebook Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2lsMaX6

Goodreads Author Page: http://bit.ly/2lDQZzb

Goodreads Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2m5O8jC

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2l5M72L

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2lsWIpn

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2ma0tA8