(Review) The Other Side of Us by Sarah Mayberry

Title: The Other Side of Us
Author: Sarah Mayberry
Published: January 2, 2013 (Harlequin)
Rating: Lunch Break Read
Format: Digital copy from publisher via NetGalley

Summary: The best thing between Oliver Barrett and Mackenzie Williams is a fence. Ever since Oliver's new-neighbor gestures were met with unfriendly responses, he's decided to keep his distance. After all, he's in this seaside town to get his life on track again. That doesn't include working hard to get on Mackenzie's good side—no matter how intriguing she may be. His intentions are put to the test, however, when his dog becomes infatuated with hers. The two crafty canines do their best to break down the barriers between the properties. And where the dogs go…, well, the humans must follow! It doesn't take long for a powerful attraction to build between Oliver and Mackenzie. They soon discover that the worst of first impressions can lead to the best possible outcomes….

The Other Side of Us by Sarah Mayberry is a beautiful romance between two people who should by all accounts have broken due to different circumstances. But they weren't. That was one of the things that made this story so enjoyable. I loved Mackenzie and her tenacity, and I loved Oliver and his brilliant sense of humor. I didn't even mind the dogs too much; Strudel might be the cutest name for a dog ever.

Another aspect of this book that was nice was that both Mackenzie and Oliver were 39 when the story started, which is older than the norm in contemporary romance. It is by no means ancient or anything, obviously, but it made for a nice change of pace from the late-twenties-early-thirties heroes and heroines in stories I tend to read.

I liked the relationship between Mackenzie and Oliver; it developed quickly from the initial dislike, and sweetness and sexiness abounded in equal measure. It was almost simplistic in a way, but it just worked with them.

(Minor spoilers in this paragraph.) Pretty much my only real problem with this book was that Oliver was in the middle of a divorce when they met. Divorce is a sticky issue for me, because I feel like the divorce needs to be finalized before I can support any romantic shenanigans that may happen the story. Unfortunately, this was obviously not the case in this book, so I just tried not to think about it. I know it's a picky thing, but it still bothered me.

Besides the aforementioned issue and a kind of slow beginning, though, I really enjoyed The Other Side of Us. It was all kinds of adorable and fun and sexy and swoony. (Did I mentioned Oliver is a musician...?) It balanced all those wonderful factors with real issues, and the result was pretty great. Sarah Mayberry remains one of my favorite contemporary authors.

Next time I will make sure to bring along a laugh track so you know when I’ve been funny.

---

Sometimes, the voice in his head was way too much of a smart-ass.

---

But she’d worked hard for this body. She’d fought alongside the doctors to keep it alive. She’d struggled against pain and expectation to become strong again. She’d survived and thrived in this body, and she refused to be ashamed of it.

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(Review) Holiday Sparks by Shannon Stacey

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Title: Holiday Sparks
Author: Shannon Stacey
Published: December 6, 2010 (Carina Press)
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Format: Digital eBook, purchased

Summary: House-sitting for her parents seemed like a good idea, until the microwave blew up and the lights went out. Now Chloe Burke thinks upgrading the electrical system of her childhood home while they are away would make the perfect Christmas gift. Fortunately, there's an electrician in town who can get the job done by the holidays.

Scott Quinn has wanted to get his hands on the Burkes' wiring for almost as long as he's wanted to get his hands on their daughter. Chloe didn't notice Scott back in high school, but she's noticing him now, and soon they're indulging in a little festive fun: no strings, no expectations. But Chloe and Scott discover they enjoy each other's company just as much out of bed. Could their holiday fling turn out to be the real thing?

This is my fourth Shannon Stacey, and I have yet to be disappointed by her. This was a totally cute Christmas novella! I love that her novellas I've read are a little longer than most others. She writes them well, making it feel like a complete story rather than a snippet of a whole.

In this particular story, we have Chloe, a web designer, and Scott, an electrician, formerly that gawky guy with glasses from Chloe's high school who has always wanted her. Their one interaction from high school we actually learn about was so incredibly sweet, although simple. All grown up, their chemistry was fantastic! It almost had me wishing for electrical problems so I could call up my local electrician and cross my fingers that he looked like Scott.

I always love the setting of Christmas in a small New England town. The two just go hand-in-hand so perfectly. In Holiday Sparks were scenes involving snow balls, snowmobiling, and overlooking the picturesque town. And, of course, the town gossip - what small town would be complete without it?

Stacey seems to love the just-a-fling-oh-wait-I-want-more storyline, but she excels at it. The stories never seem repetitive, because each has its own unique characters and facets that make the story special. This was the case in Holiday Sparks. While the basic plot was nothing new, I liked all the different touches. The "electrician" aspect allowed the whole being alone all day, every day thing, which does make a rather convenient romance novel setting. I'm surprised it's not more popular! But I digress. Holiday Sparks was a totally adorable Christmas read, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Hugging that man’s ass was what jeans had been created for.

---

Scott belonged here, in a place where everybody not only knew your name, but knew what you did in the second grade to get you called into the principal’s office.

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(Review) Under the Mistletoe by Jill Shalvis

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Title: Under the Mistletoe
Author: Jill Shalvis
Series: Lucky Harbor #6.5
Published: December 4, 2012 (Forever Yours)
Rating: Lunch Break Read
Format: Ebook, purchased

Summary: Mia Hutchinson, Tara and Ford's daughter from The Sweetest Thing, has asked her college boyfriend, Nick, to travel to Lucky Harbor for her aunt Maddie's Christmas Eve wedding.

Despondent when Nick refuses her invitation, Mia returns home alone and faces her high school sweetheart Carlos Rodriguez for the first time since refusing his marriage proposal. Only to find that he is happily dating someone else. With love and holiday spirit everywhere, Mia wonders who will kiss her this Christmas under the mistletoe.

I went into this book with totally skewed expectations because the blurb from Goodreads, at least the way I read it, implied a Mia/Carlos romance. Or maybe I just skimmed it, because let's just be honest, it was an auto-buy for me as it involved the words "Jill Shalvis" and "Lucky Harbor," and I was totally excited to read Mia's story. I enjoyed reading about her in The Sweetest Thing, and I couldn't wait to see how her life went after the book left off. Regardless, this book is not about Mia and Carlos (which became clear very quickly, so I'm not spoiling anything here); it is about Mia and Nick.

Mia was 17 at the end of The Sweetest Thing, but at the start of Under the Mistletoe, she was 22. I always love reading about characters in this age group. (And since it was in the New York Times today and all, I should probably stop desperately hoping someone will come up with a label other than "New Adult," and suck it up and start using it.) Because she had graduated college only months before, I could relate a lot to where Mia was in her life, because I am very close to that point myself. It added a nice element to the experience.

Since Mia was going home for Chloe and Sawyer's wedding, the whole original Lucky Harbor crew was there in all their splendid, hilarious, heartwarming glory. There was even a cameo by Lucille, because what would a Lucky Harbor book be without Lucille? I also like that Carlos was included, and her romance with him was not thrown away as irrelevant or "puppy love."

One warning, though. This story puts the la in novella. There's a reason it says "A Lucky Harbor Short Story" on the cover, rather than novella. The blasted page count declares the book is 85 pages long...and then you're reading along and OHHAIJUSTKIDDING, it ends on page 55. What follows is a teaser for the next Lucky Harbor book.

However, for all its miniature length, Under the Mistletoe is far from just a quick bit of holiday fluff. It was this on one level, of course, but there was a lot of depth, too. I love that the romance did not center around a developing romance, because there simply was not time for that. It involved commitment and Mia and Nick both coming to terms with what they wanted out of life before embarking on their HEA. And the way this came about? Oh, be still, my heart. So many feelings!

I was not a huge fan of one of the elements of the end because it felt a little like a cop-out to me, but I won't go into what it was so as to not spoil it. Overall, although I obviously wished for this story to be a little longer, the content was great. Shalvis wrote another winning addition to the Lucky Harbor series, and if you're looking for a quick yuletide read with more depth and heart than you might expect, I would suggest downloading Under the Mistletoe.

"'Let me in.' 'Come to the door.' You always demand like that? No wonder she isn't listening? Try asking sometime. Not all women will stand for that 50 Shades crap, you know."

---

She wasn’t going to cry again. Hell no. She’d save it for really important events, like watching The Notebook after a round of brutal finals.

---

He kissed her as if he could breathe the truth into her lungs.

---

"Don’t cry. I’m sorry." He wasn’t exactly sure what he was sorry for, but he’d be sorry for breathing if that was the problem.

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(Review) Ask Her at Christmas by Christi Barth

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Title: Ask Her at Christmas
Author: Christi Barth
Anthology: Romancing the Holiday
Published: December 3, 2012 (Carina Press)
Rating: Lunch Break Read
Format: Digital ARC from author

Summary: Caitlin McIntyre’s heart stops when her best friend drops to one knee and proposes. Kyle Lockhart never once hinted over the years that he has any idea she’s in love with him. Not wanting to jeopardize their friendship, she’s never let it slip. Good thing, too, since it turns out he’s only practicing—he’s about to propose to someone else.

A business merger might not be the most romantic reason to propose to a woman he barely knows, but Kyle’s determined to win the respect of his dying father who’s never seen him as quite good enough. Kyle’s always depended on Caitlin’s friendship, while trying to ignore the physical response she arouses. So he turns to her when it comes time to craft his proposal, not realizing his decision will affect their relationship, forever.

I was excited to read this ARC because it sounded perfect for a sweet Christmas read. What better setting than the holidays for a friends-to-lovers romance? I enjoyed reading about Caitlin and Kyle. They had been friends since they were children, but Caitlin had wanted more for years. Kyle had been more oblivious about his feelings - as men in these stories are wont to be - but had always fought attraction to Caitlin. Not wanting to ruin their friendship, neither Kyle or Caitlin had said anything to the other.

Because I am the kind of person who can never get too much build-up, my usual complaint about novellas is that there is not enough time for the relationship to develop. However, this story was actually a perfect fit for the length of a novella. To make it longer would be pointlessly dragging things out for no reason. Caitlin and Kyle had been best friends for years, and that was clear as soon as the story started. Their relationship developed at a good pace, and I liked the way it unfolded.

Unfortunately, there was not much characterization beyond the surface. But I liked Caitlin and her perpetual happiness, and there was Kyle, a total nerd who also happened to have movie star looks. Who doesn't love that? Monica, Kyle's would-be fiancée was an obviously boring and horrid woman despite her Marilyn Monroe appearance. She was clearly not going to present any threat to the couple.

This was a nice little Christmas romance. Nothing too serious or dark happened, and there was not much standing in the way of the HEA. It made me giggle several times and had quite a few good lines. If you're looking for a quick, cute friends-to-lovers romance in a Christmas setting - or a variety of potential ways to propose if you live in the Chicago area - Ask Her at Christmas is a good choice.

Yeah, he wasn’t any good with words. Now, if he could craft an equation that transformed her beauty into the simplicity of numbers, then he’d be eloquent. Except she wouldn’t understand it. And he’d win the prize for biggest nerd ever.

---

Believing in love, valuing it, doesn’t make me naïve.

---

Nice guys, to be sure, but as geeky as a pocket protector stuffed into a tuxedo on prom night.

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(Review) Kissing Under the Mistletoe by Marina Adair

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Title: Kissing Under the Mistletoe
Author: Marina Adair
Published: October 16, 2012 (Montlake Romance)
Rating: Lunch Break Read
Format: Ebook, purchased from Amazon

Summary: Regan Martin stopped believing in Christmas miracles six years ago when she lost her house, her job, and her impeccable reputation in the wine industry after she fell in love with a man she had no idea was married. Then Regan gets a chance for a fresh start. With her dream job, dream home, and her daughter enrolled in a wonderful new school, she starts wondering if holiday wishes really come true.

But she soon tumbles back down to earth when she learns that her new boss is none other than Gabe DeLuca, the scorned wife’s brother. Gabe wants nothing more than home-wrecking Regan Martin out of his life, his sister’s world, and his family’s business. Mostly, he wants the lush beauty out of his head. Yet his attempts to run her out of town have him thinking twice, especially when he sees that Regan may hold the key to tracking down his sister’s stolen start-up capital. Even worse for Gabe, Regan might just be his Christmas wish and hold the key to his heart.

April from Good Books & Good Wine mentioned this book on Twitter a week or so ago, and once I read the blurb on Goodreads, I knew I absolutely had to read it. SO MUCH potential for I-want/love-you-even-though-I-really-REALLY-don't-want-to awesomeness, which is basically my favorite trope ever. Add in Christmas, and this book was practically tailor-made for me.

There were quite a few things I enjoyed about this book. For one, I totally fell for Holly, Regan's daughter. She was so adorable with her kitty fascination and her obsessive manners. I really loved the whole dynamic between Regan and Holly. Regan was doing her best to give Holly the best life possible, and their interactions were full of the cutest love possible. The way Gabe fit into this relationship was simply perfect. There are few things more swoon-worthy than a man who is good with kids, and I could not blame Regan at all for her swooning moments after watching Gabe interact with Holly.

The whole cast of secondary characters was diverse and entertaining. There were many of them, from the Mrs. Clauses (a group of older women including Gabe's grandmother) to Regan's new friends in Napa Valley to a reindeer town mascot named Randolph (no, not Rudolph - Randolph). Some of the characters were significantly less awesome, and there was one character in particular who most certainly got coal in her stocking come December 25th. But what's a good romance without a little villainous interference, eh?

Unfortunately, given all that, there were still some aspects that fell short for me. The first scene of the book was a little jarring. I enjoy absurd opening scenes, but this one was both absurd and awkward, and I just didn't quite understand what was happening and why. It also took a while for me to warm up to Gabe. Although I understood his current behavior for the most part, his previous behavior was a little much for me to forgive until he finally started to realize the wrongness of his actions and feel some contrition.

Although it did not quite live up to its potential, Kissing Under the Mistletoe was quite the enjoyable read. I liked the Napa Valley setting; I have not read many romances involving the wine industry. There was great chemistry between Gabe and Regan. Watching Gabe fall in love with Regan and Holly made for many smile-and-sigh moments. All this combined with the heavy Christmas influence makes Kissing Under the Mistletoe a great December read, and I definitely suggest reading it while curled up on the couch with a throw blanket and a mug of egg nog/wassail/your holiday beverage of choice.

Because men did not – repeat, did not – fit into her five-year plan. There was Holly, her career, and creating a home. Period. None of those included the penis-carrying members of society.

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A wise man would answer yes. Last he’d heard, though, the roles of all three wise men were already cast. And he wasn’t one of them.

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She had never really been into arms before, but there was something about his that made her want to wrap them around her and beg him to never let go.

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(Review) It Happened One Christmas by Leslie Kelly

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Title: It Happened One Christmas
Author: Leslie Kelly
Published: November 15, 2011 (Harlequin)
Rating: Lunch Break Read
Format: Physical copy borrowed from the library

Summary: Six years ago, Ross Mitchell and Lucy Fleming shared a hot holiday weekend in Manhattan, back when he was just a hard-bodied guy in a tool belt and she was an impulsive photography student. Fast-forward a few Decembers: Ross and Lucy meet again, by chance, at his office Christmas party. And when they find themselves alone and snowed in after hours, it's not long before they're making their own body heat—again. Only this time, the sex is better than ever! But is it just another holiday romp between the sheets? Or will Lucy and Ross finally get to keep what they really want this year—each other!

A while back, I was struck by the Christmas impulse and grabbed a bunch of holiday themed Harlequins from the library. This was one of them. It was a fun way to spend a slow afternoon at work! It was a sweet love story that I very much enjoyed reading.

I liked the way the story was presented. Ross and Lucy had a slight history from years before, and their new meeting paralleled their old in many ways. The stories unfolded at just the right pace. The flashback integrated well into the present, and it was nice to compare and contrast the two.

I liked that it was the woman who was the Scrooge figure in the book (because heaven forbid you have a Christmas romance wherein one of the characters was not anti-Christmas) with the man who loved it. It made a fun change to read a hero who loved Christmas, because that just makes me smile. Also, Lucy didn't just hate Christmas to hate Christmas; it was because of a tragic accident that had happened years earlier.

As for the interactions between Lucy and Ross, they had some great chemistry from the very beginning. And I will forever and always love the locked/snowed in trope. It is a great chance to work out issues and perhaps steam up some windows (which is obviously going to happen in a Blaze).

Christmas played a great part in the story. It was actually relevant, not just tossed in there for Christmas marketing, which happened in the other "Christmas" Harlequin I read around the same time. The story would not have been the same without it. And what a great story it was! It was a little heartbreaking at times and incredibly sweet. It totally sneaked in there and made me cry during the epilogue. Darn the Christmas sappiness! (Except I totally loved every minute of it.)

If she’d woken up this morning to find her bed had floated up into the sky on a giant helium balloon, she couldn't have been more surprised than she was right now.

---

“I can tell you what it’s like,” she said. “It’s like waking up one day and realizing someone’s torn half your heart out of your chest. Your life is no longer about the number of years you’ve lived, or the ones you have in front of you. It becomes measured by before and after that one moment.”

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(Review) An Affair Before Christmas by Eloisa James

Title: An Affair Before Christmas
Author: Eloisa James
Series: Desperate Duchesses #2
Published: November 13, 2007 (Avon)
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Format: Audiobook & ebook, both from library

Summary: One spectacular Christmas, Lady Perdita Selby, known to her friends and family as Poppy, met the man she thought she would love forever. The devilishly attractive Duke of Fletcher was the perfect match for the innocent, breathtakingly beautiful young Englishwoman, and theirs was the most romantic wedding she had ever seen. Four years later, Poppy and the duke have become the toast of the ton... but behind closed doors the spark of their love affair has burned out.

Unwilling to lose the woman he still lusts after, the duke is determined to win back his beguiling bride's delectable affections...and surpass the heady days of first love with a truly sinful seduction.

In all honesty, I picked up this book purely because I knew the Christmas feature was coming up, and I needed to read more Christmas books for it. I was not particularly drawn in by the summary, but I love Eloisa James, so I went ahead and started it. Little did I know what awaited me!

I love reviewing audiobooks. Since I listen to them while doing something (usually driving) during which I can't write, I leave voice messages for myself with my long, rambly, often incoherent thoughts of flailage or anger. Listening to those before I write my review is freaking hilarious. One day I'll transcribe myself or upload it (except not because then you would probably be frightened away by the crazy).

Let me tell you, this book? Caused me to leave some insane comments. At one point, I swear, I was talking like Lorelai Gilmore on speed. I loved so much about this story! Probably my favorite thing is how it flips so many historical romance norms. For instance, the book starts with the couple in love. How often does that happen? However, they were both young and rash, and you know that they really should not have gotten married at that point in their lives. Obviously, the marriage does not work the way either party planned, and the real story starts 4 years after the wedding.

The problem lies in the fact that while 4 years have passed, neither Poppy or Fletch have really developed. They are both still young, and they are stuck trying to fill these roles they do not really know how to fill. They are both still a little immature, and Poppy, especially, is very naïve. Thus, they are unhappy and resentful. Perhaps this does not make for the most likable characters for the first half or more of the book, but I like it because it is real. I could really see that happening for a couple of the time period, and I wanted desperately to know how they were going to solve it.

During the story, I loved watching each of the characters grow individually before they were truly able to address their relationship. Poppy especially had a lot of self-discovery to achieve and a backbone to grow. This book read almost like a new adult novel, but a historical one, and I really liked that about it.

One other thing I loved about the book was how the main story and the side stories intertwined. It reminded me how much I absolutely adore Elijah and Jemma (especially Elijah ♥), as well as how I need to give the book about Villiers another try. I actually got extremely invested in all three(ish) side plots, and I thought James achieved a really great balance between the main and side stories. They were there enough to be intriguing, but mostly, they were not there enough to take away from the main story.

Overall, An Affair Before Christmas is a great read. If you are looking for a realistic, beautiful romance with side characters who are sure to make you want to read the rest of the books in the series, I would absolutely recommend it.

It’s not manly to be so perfect in every way.

---

There was no point in letting one’s husband think he was interesting; it would only end in disaster.

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|Adult Review| All He Ever Needed by Shannon Stacey

Title: All He Ever Needed
Author: Shannon Stacey
Series: Kowalski #4
Published September 10th 2012 by Carina Press
Rating: C+ or 3 and half hearts
Goodreads Summary:

He won’t stay put for a woman, and she won’t chase after any man…

Mitch Kowalski lives out of a suitcase—and he likes it that way. Traveling for work has the added bonus of scaring off women who would otherwise try to tie him down. But when he’s called home to help with the family lodge, he’s intrigued by the new girl in town and her insistence that she doesn’t need a man. If there’s one thing Mitch can’t resist, it’s a challenge.

After a nomadic childhood, Paige Sullivan is finally putting down roots. Determined to stand on her own two feet, she lives by the motto “Men are a luxury, not a necessity.” But when Mr. Tall, Dark and Hot pulls up a stool in her diner and offers her six weeks of naughty fun with a built-in expiration date, she’s tempted to indulge.

They’re the perfect match for a no-strings fling. Until they realize their sexy affair has become anything but casual…

70,000 words

Shannon Stacey's books are just a doze of cute, fun and enjoyable contemporary reads. The fourth book in the Kowalski series does not fail to deliver a comforting, rainy day entertaining book! Set in a small town where everybody knows everybody bizzness and won't forget anything you ever did, Shannon Stacey made this a (somewhat) charmed setting. Small towns are annoying. No body needs to know EVERYTHING you did, said and everything in between but Shannon Stacey managed to keep the small town factor annoyance level to a minimum but there were still times when I wanted to  just move Mitch and Paige to a city with a population of more than 1 million people:

"It's just that once they pin a label on you here, you wear the label forever. When you walk into a place here, they see a beautiful women who's made a success out of her business. When I walk into a place, they don't see a grown man who's made a success out of his business. They see every story they've ever heard about me doing something wrong, even though I've changed."

LET HIS PAST GO!

Mitch is not looking for a serious relationship because his work keeps him from staying in one place for too long while Paige's motto in life is "Men are a luxury not a necessity." Cue Mitch bringing out the big guns so he could woo Paige and become a "luxury" in her life during his stay at the lodge but their little fun relationship turns into something more- companionship. Sometimes, commitment-phoebes heroes and heroines DRIVE ME INSANE but Mitch didn't exactly have commitment-phobia. He's priority was just work which made me hop from city to city.

"I have to travel a lot. And not just a few days or weekend here and there. I'm talking about weeks at a time."

"You'll make it work for the right women." 

Same for Paige, her priority was her diner. Shannon Stacey handled their relationship very well. We see them flirting at first, deciding to give into their attraction and have fun then the mental struggle of coming to care for someone special and having to readjust your life for them. It was a lovely, funny, and sexy ride!

Shannon Stacey also set up Mitch's brothers stories in this book, Ryan (All He Ever Desired - book 5 - January 13th) and Josh (All He Ever Dreamed - book 6 - November 19th) and honestly, if those two books were out already, I would have bought them and read them by now!* Ryan is a divorced man helping Mitch and Josh repair their lodge and apparently he has had a thing for now-divorced Lauren for years and oh, this Lauren has teenage son. I love books where the hero or heroine have kids!!!** As for Josh, love for him might come in a form of someone he knew, all. his. life.***

Rating: C+ Not my favorite of the series, a good book but not a great one but I still enjoyed reading it.

First:

Mitch Kowalski was doing sixty when he blew past the Welcome to Whitford, Maine sign, and he would have grinned if grinning on a Harley at dusk in a shorty helmet wasn't an invitation to eat his weight in bugs.

Favorite:

"But you want a man, right?"

She pretended to think about it fir a few seconds. "Not especially."

"Who opens jars for you?"

"I hvae a little gadget that does that."

"But..." He grinned. "What about sex?"

"I have a little gadget that does that, too."

Teaser:

"I told you I smelled banana bread and you said it was an air freshener," Mitch said, trying not to sound too pouty.

Other reviews:
Mandi @Smexy Books: B+
Brie @Romance Around The Corner: 4 stars
Jac @For Love & Books: 4 stars
Brianna @The Book Vixen: 4 stars
Amanda @Raunch Dilettante: 4 stars
Ann @Under The Covers: 3.75 stars
  
*I wrote this review after I finished reading All He Ever Needed a few weeks back and by now I've already read All He Ever Desired and like I predicted, it IS better than All He Ever Needed! I'll post my review sometime in November.
**Shannon Stacey has posted the first chapter of All He Ever Desired, if you're interested!
***Shannon Stacey posted a fun tidbit from book 6, All He Ever Dreamed.
**** I'm done.

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Blog Tour: |Review| On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves

Today, I bring you my review of On the Island, my favorite book of 2012. I read On the Island and participated in the blog tour, the FIRST blog tour that is and today, I'm also a part of the book's second blog tour. Why a second tour you ask? Well, On the Island was previously a self published book but it has been picked up by Penguin Publishing!! Follow the rest of the blog tour HERE.

So without further ado, here is my review of the best book I read so far of 2012, it COMPLETELY BLEW MY MIND!!

Title: On the Island
Author: Tracey Garvis-Graves
Published July 10th 2012 by Plume
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
Goodreads summary:

When thirty-year-old English teacher Anna Emerson is offered a job tutoring T.J. Callahan at his family's summer rental in the Maldives, she accepts without hesitation; a working vacation on a tropical island trumps the library any day. T.J. Callahan has no desire to leave town, not that anyone asked him. He's almost seventeen and if having cancer wasn't bad enough, now he has to spend his first summer in remission with his family - and a stack of overdue assignments - instead of his friends. Anna and T.J. are en route to join T.J.'s family in the Maldives when the pilot of their seaplane suffers a fatal heart attack and crash-lands in the Indian Ocean. Adrift in shark-infested waters, their life jackets keep them afloat until they make it to the shore of an uninhabited island. Now Anna and T.J. just want to survive and they must work together to obtain water, food, fire, and shelter. Their basic needs might be met but as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.'s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.

Racquel's thoughts:
This book went above and beyond what I ever expected!! While I loved the summary of the book and it definitely intrigued me, I was a little worried about how Tracey Garvis-Graves would handle the island issue and survival of the characters. I'm complete realist fan so I wanted to see both characters suffer but adapt at the same time because let's face it, getting stuck on an island is not cookies and cupcakes, it's hard and devastating and I wanted to experience that and I sure did! Also, one thing I was SO excited about is seeing how Garvis-Graves would deal with the age gap between Anna, our 30 year old heroine and T.J, our near 17 years old hero. Now I'm a not one of those people that think an age gap of more then a few months is scandalous. No, ABSOLUTELY NOT. Frankly, I lose some respect for the people who do! If I could, I would RIGHT NOW tattoo AGE IS JUST A NUMBER on my forehead. I cannot even begin to tell you how annoyed I get when a 16 year old girl dates a 18 year old and it's the worst thing in the history of the world. Umm, when Hugh Hefner was going to marry a girl SIXTY (YES! 60 years!) years his JUNIOR (yes! 60 years YOUNGER than him!!) no body screamed: pedophile! felony! illegal! molester! wrong! Did any cops get involved? that would be a negative.
So frankly, if this man can marry someone younger than his grand children then there is absolutely nothing wrong with the age difference in this book (13 years) or any age difference for that matter (unless it's a child...) what matters is maturity, and since maturity is such an important word I'm going to repeat it for you: MATURITY. Which differs from every single human being to another. Furthermore, age is not a factor for how mature a person is *deep breath* as you can tell, this is a subject I feel very strongly about.

Now that I proved my point about age, I proudly type that Tracey Garvis-Graves handled the age difference "issue" to perfection like a Jedi master. It was just done so well that even idiots who are brainwashed be society and the government to judge people's relationship upon age (I just said this statement and I will repeat it until my death) will not find a problem with the 13 year difference between Anna and T.J because it was done realistically, full-heartedly and one of the great things about this book is how we get to see both Anna and especially T.J. grow up and mature so the romance is literally born and blossoms in front of our eyes and no reader will help but fall in love with Anna and T.J. as a couple too.

I suggest you start reading this book during  a weekend when you have no plans because when you crack open the first page, you will not be able to put it down until you close the book at the end. There is always the questions of "Will they get rescued? Will they find food? Will they heal? Will they survive?" to push you through the wee hours of the morning to finish this spectacular book.

I loved how despite the seriousness and tragedy of what Anna and T.J. are going though- which is portrayed 100% realistically by the way, the book still had a few laughs that had me LOL'in and plus that, Garvis-Graves didn't shy away from describing the nasty, ugly sides of their isolation on the island or just anything in general whether it related to language, sexuality, or situations that most authors might just skip over.

I further want to discuss what goes on in the book but I will keep away from doing so as not to spoil what happens in the book for anyone but just so you know, every part of this book is top quality story telling. From the alternating POV's (which if you know me, you will already know I ADORE this!) T.J. male POV (another favorite thing of mine) and over all book, it's all just terrific. I mean as soon as I finished this book, I wanted it to re-read it and even now that I'm writing this review, I have an urge to read this book,  I think I might just answer it;D

Also, feel free to chat with me about the book of you read it, I would love to see how you felt!

Rating: 5 hearts~ Believe me, On the Island is a book you want to purchase right now and read ASAP. 

First:

I was thirty years old when the seaplane T.J. Callahan and I were traveling on crash-landed in the Indian Ocean. T.J. was sixteen, and three months into remission from Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Quote that broke my heart:

“What’s nine-eleven?” 

“I don’t know."

Teaser: 

...he might have seen my fist coming before it connected with his left eye.

______________________________________________________________
Buy the book: Amazon |  Barnes & Noble |  Goodreads |
Find the author: Author’s website |  Facebook |  Twitter

Thank you for participating in the ON THE ISLAND Event! This week in addition to reviews and posts, select blogs are hosting a word from the author's favorite quotes in the book as a Scavenger Hunt! There is one quote from Anna and one from T.J. Visit each stop this week to find the hidden words (they will be numbered for order) and after July 22nd, submit your answer to the quotes here! Random winners for books and swag will be chosen and notified by July 29th.

Also, next week July 23-27, there will be even more events and chances to win the book and swag!

• Monday, July 23 at 8:00 pm CST - Chat with the author Tracey Garvis Graves! We will be chatting with the author on Savor Chat: http://www.savorchat.com/chat/on-the-island-chat Come join us! (You can sign in with twitter or facebook)
  
• Each day look at #ontheisland on twitter for random shout outs to win books and swag! @Tale_of_Reviews
• ON THE ISLAND released in bookstores Tuesday, July 10th! If you see the book in stores or 'in the wild' take a picture. Please tweet it and use hashtag #ontheisland. Or you can post it to facebook! Please submit twitter and facebook links of your post/tweet here!  All entries need to be submitted by July 29th.
  

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Thank you for stopping by and don't forget to follow the rest of the tour HERE!

 

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Blog Tour: |Review| Ties that Bind by Heather Huffman + Giveaway

As part of the Ties that Bind book by Heather Huffman book tour, I have a review for you!! And also a giveaway and a chance to wind the grand giveaway!! This is the Ties That Bind tour schedule, Click here to follow the rest of the tour and giveaways each day!

Title: Ties that Bind 
Author: Heather Huffman 
Published October 1st 2011 by Booktrope 
Genre: Contemporary romance, chick-lit 
Rating: ♥♥♥♥
Goodread's summary:

Kate Yager never had a father, and she never minded - until her mom died. Now, acting on the name called out on her mother's deathbed, Kate has moved to San Francisco and gotten herself hired by the man she suspects to be her dad. As if a new job, new apartment, and new parent weren't enough, Kate finds herself head-over-heels in lust with a complete stranger she met at an art show. A stranger who, she later finds out, happens to work in her office.

As her relationships with her friends and father grow stronger, Kate has to confront the decisions of her past to find out whether she can love the man who gave her up, love the man who loves her truly, and even whether she can love herself.

Racquel's thoughts:
If I had known this was chick-lit, I would have stayed away from it but thank goodness I didn't know because I would have missed out on a wonderful story. Now the reason I'm not the biggest fan of chick-lit books is because the romance is usually sometimes present but it's not very important or very developed and that's a problem for me since romance is my favorite. I need romance in my adult books! Ties that Bind however balanced the romance and "chick-lit" (family and friends) elements equally and I'm very satisfied with that.

The argument that the first half of the book is romance can be made and that's is why I gave the book 4 hearts. The second half of the book was not as good to me, as the first half, but I did enjoy the first half to much to care. Gavin, our hero, and Kate were just the perfect pair. The witty banter between them just about killed me from how awesome it is!!

"You don't brush your teeth without scheduling it on your Blackberry, do you? What about showers?"
"I am perfectly capable of tending to personal hygiene without the assistance of my handheld." 

But also, it was sweet seeing how Gavin slowly pulled Kate out of guarded life and helped her overcome a few of her insecurities. He knew just how far he could push her and when to stop and I really liked that. I hate when the heroines say NO! a million times and the hero refuses to listen but Gavin knew which "no" from Kate to question and which one was to be left alone. Like I said, they were the perfect, swoon worthy pair!

Kate's mother just died and she has moved to a new town, new job and new people so seeing her get settled in, open up to new friends (and Gavin ;D) was sweet and I really enjoyed seeing her growth as a character. I do wish that Jason, who was the catalyst of a very important plot point, would have been developed more and I feel that Jack, who is Kate's boss, forgave and forgot old wounds to quickly for my liking and that is why I can't bring myself to rate the book 5 hearts but besides that, Ties that Bind is a really enjoyable read about a women who's life is out of control and how she brought it back to sanity. If you're a fan of contemporary and romance, I highly suggest this book!

Rating: 4 hearts~ just as good as the summary promises to be!

First:

In the thirty-two years Kate Yager had been on this planet, she has never met another person with quite the same shade eyes as hers.

Favorite:

"Well, because either you'll rip him apart in some misguided burst of chivalry that will land you in jail, or you'll be perfectly civil to him and I'll be mad at you for not ripping him apart in some misguided burst of chivalry. There's really no way for you to win that one."

Teaser:

"Yeah, well neither of them are old or insane, and I happen to like those qualities, too."

Now I have a giveaway for you!! THREE winners will get a an e-book copy of Ties That Bind. But also, EVERY SINGLE tour stop is ALSO giving away 3 copies of the e-book so make sure to stop by each blogging participating!! Here is a link to follow the rest of the tour! Good luck!
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and also, you have a chance to win the grand prize here! This is the same rafflecopter at every stop BUT by following me on this blog, you get a new entry!!
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|Adult Review| About Last Night by Ruthie Knox

Title: About Last Night
Author: Ruthie Knox
Published June 11th 2012 by Random House Publishing Group
Genre: contemporary romance
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♡ 
Goodreads summary:

Sure, opposites attract, but in this sexy, smart, eBook original romance from Ruthie Knox, they positively combust! When a buttoned-up banker falls for a bad girl, “about last night” is just the beginning.

Cath Talarico knows a mistake when she makes it, and God knows she’s made her share. So many, in fact, that this Chicago girl knows London is her last, best shot at starting over. But bad habits are hard to break, and soon Cath finds herself back where she has vowed never to go . . . in the bed of a man who is all kinds of wrong: too rich, too classy, too uptight for a free-spirited troublemaker like her.
 
Nev Chamberlain feels trapped and miserable in his family’s banking empire. But beneath his pinstripes is an artist and bohemian struggling to break free and lose control. Mary Catherine—even her name turns him on—with her tattoos, her secrets, and her gamine, sex-starved body, unleashes all kinds of fantasies.
 
When blue blood mixes with bad blood, can a couple that is definitely wrong for each other ever be perfectly right? And with a little luck and a lot of love, can they make last night last a lifetime?

Racquel's thoughts:
I fell in love with About Last Night after I read an excerpt at Val's blog and since the book wasn't released, I settled for reading Ruthie Knox's debut, Ride With Me, which was absolutely great so when I got the chance to get a review copy of About Last Night I was so excastic and it did NOT disappoint! Ruthie Knox is just an all around fantastic addition to the contemporary romance genre.

To begin with, About Last Night's cast of characters are not recycled, the writing is definitely Ruthie Knox but I love how her new hero and heroine are brand new people. Some author's plot and characters are polished, recycled version of their old main characters but not with Ruthie Knox! City AKA Nev and Cath are brand new, delightful voices from Rutie Knox and I love their story as much as I love Tom's & Alexis from Ride With Me!

The book takes takes place in London and I loved that! I used to visit every summer break but I haven't been to London in over 7 years so it was nice revisiting the city through the book and I think Ruthie captured it's essence very well. Also, just reading a book sit outside of the U.S. is nice, who doesn't like to experience a new culture?!

Our hero and heroines are also delightful!! Cath is not your average clean cut, angel heroine. Her family is a well-known Chicago mafia family (my kind of girl!) and she's all about the tattoos! I loved Cath's personality, it made me her more enjoyable. She has a past and it's bad one and she done a lot of things she regrets but I absolutely know she was a good person and that's all that matters. I also liked the fact that Cath's past wasn't dumped at us. Well actually, it WAS dumped at us (thanks Nev) but it didn't happen from page one. You know Cath went through a lot of bad things but those things are not revealed until much later in the book. This made me read and devour the book faster, I was just waiting to know what happened and it was a nice tactic.

At the opposite end of the spectrum we have who Cath calls City. Who in reality is Nev Chamberlain, banker by day, artist by night and possibly the sweetest man I read about.

"The towel on the tub was for her. A clean towel and a toothbrush, and he hadn't even gotten in her pants. What a guy."

Now, who doesn't already love Nev? (especially after drooling over the cover. YUM!) Cath and City think think they're the worst match in history but really they couldn't be more well paired. Nev understood Cath more than anybody ever could and he slowly but surely drew her out of I'm-done-with-love mentality and seeing Cath opened up to Nev was a absolutely wonderful. It just made the sexy romance so sweet. The book was all Cath and Nev and even then I couldn't get enough of them. You could really see them falling in love and opening up to each other and it couldn't have been better. So of course adored this romance story beyond words and  it's one of my favorites of the year. Ruthie Knox is an author I have my eye on!!

Rating: 4.5 hearts~ yet another hit from Ruthie Knox! A definite must read for romance fans.

First:

The Pigeon Man was uasually here by now.

Favorite:

An orgasm- just for her- ad a compliment. She would bottle him and sill him and make a fortune.

Teaser:

They has routines now, after three weeks of this whatevership of theirs.

Some great interviews from Ruthie that I HIGHLY suggest you check out!
Spilling Secrets With Ruthie Knox
Interview @ Seduced By A Book

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|Adult Review| Ride with Me by Ruthie Knox

Title: Ride with Me
Author: Ruthie Knox
Published: February 13th 2012 by Loveswept
Genre: Adult contemporary romance, roadtrip
Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Goodreads summary:

When Lexie Marshall places an ad for a cycling companion, she hopes to find someone friendly and fun to cross the TransAmerica Trail with. Instead, she gets Tom Geiger—a lean, sexy loner whose bad attitude threatens to spoil the adventure she’s spent years planning.

Roped into the cycling equivalent of a blind date by his sister, Tom doesn’t want to ride with a chatty, go-by-the-map kind of woman, and he certainly doesn’t want to want her. Too bad the sight of Lexie with a bike between her thighs really turns his crank.

Even Tom’s stubborn determination to keep Lexie at a distance can’t stop a kiss from leading to endless nights of hotter-than-hot sex. But when the wild ride ends, where will they go next?

Racquel's thoughts:
I read the excerpt of Ruthie Knox's About Last Night and fell in love with it but sadly, it does not come out until June 11th so I checked out her other books and turns out I had Ride with Me added and I decided why not read it now as I wait for About Last Night.

What made me fall in love with About Last Night excerpt is how in 20 pages only, I laughed out loud at least 3 times and well, same thing goes for Ride with Me!

Lexie and Tom are so day and night, that makes their conversations hysterical since they're usually fighting and Tom, who's a complete 100% hermit crab loner, was so awkward around other people I couldn't help but laugh at his actions and thoughts. But I also enjoyed seeing how Lexie brought him out of his shell and and made him interact with people again- and also hate humanity slightly less. Tom himself also helped Lexie become a little loose and learn how to have fun instead of being a by-the-book girl. That's what I loved about the romance and what made it so epic, Tom and Lexie brought out the worst yet best in each other and they're completely perfect for each other. Reading about them and their TransAm bike trail journey was tons and tons of fun.

The only reason I didn't give this book 5 hearts even though I loved it so much is because I felt it ended too abruptly. My kindle was showing I still had 15% left but turns out it was all acknowledgment and other book excerpts so when I flipped the page and it said "acknowledgment" I literally went WHAT THE HECK?! I couldn't believe the book ending because it was way, way too fast. An epilogue would have been so beyond satisfying! But besides that Ride with Me was fun, hot and really enjoyable. Ruthie Knox is on my author radar!!

Ride with Me Excerpt

About Last Night Excerpt

Rating: 4 hearts~ another great hit in the contemporary romance genre! Ruthie Knox didn't let me down.

First:

COMPANION WANTED.

 Favorite:

“Taryn, I’m thirty-five, single, tattooed, and antisocial. I’m the serial killer.” 

Teaser: 

"I told you, I used to be charming."

 

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|Adult Review| Time Out by Jill Shalvis

Title: Time Out 
Author: Jill Shalvis 
Published February 21st 2012 by Harlequin 
*thanks to publisher for providing me with a review copy*
Genre: Adult contemporary romance, humor
Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Goodreads summary:

Sign up for recreational adult programs now! Class: How to Drive Him Crazy
Instructional program for women unexpectedly facing the totally dishy guy from their past. Everyone welcome! NHL coach Mark Diego's plan to spend his off-season volunteering in his hometown goes awry when he learns that not only is he coaching teenage girls, but that the program is coordinated by energetic (and five feet two inches of trouble) coordinator Rainey Saunders, his childhood friend—and the woman he could never stand to see dating any other guy….When their tempers flare, Mark and Rainey discover their fireworks don't just burn angry—they burn very, very hot! But that'll just sweeten the victory. Because Mark always plays to win. And with Rainey, he's planning on playing very dirty, too

Racquel's thoughts:
Jill Shalvis is on the fast track of becoming on of my all time to-die-for favorite authors. I would already give her that title but she has so so so so many books published and I only read three books among what Goodreads says is 118 distinct works by her, so proportionally speaking, I would have to read a few more books by her to say I would sell an eyeball to read one of her books but between you and me, these 3 books I read by Shalvis are enough for me to convince me she's a fantastic writer and worthy of selling a body part for.

Like the previous two books I read by Shalvis, Time Out had the perfect recipe of likeable characters, interesting plot, witty banter and dialogue, enjoyable drama and endless humor. More than I can count I was laughing out loud, highlighting passages on my Kindle because Shalvis just possess the ability to make her readers laugh, a talent you're either born with or not and clearly, Shalvis is blessed with this! Come one, does this not make you want to buy the book right now:

"Trust Me, he's not your type."

"Because he's rich and famous? Because he's tough as hell and cool as ice?"

"Because he's missing  vital organ."

Lena gasped in horror. "He doesn't have a d-"

"A heart! He's missing a heart! Jeez, get your mind out of the gutter."

While Harlequin Blaze books are not short stories by any means, they're still usually single sitting reads and Time Out proves no different. I suggest you read this book when you have free time because once you pick it up, you will not want to put it down! I couldn't get enough of Rainey and Mark, their chemistry was great, it was simply sizzling out of the pages and I loved every second of it, especially since both Mark, Rainey and also the side characters are all beyond entertaining.

The only thing keeping this book from being a 5 heart read is the fact that I think it ended to abruptly, it was definitely a happy, I-have-a-big-grin-on-my-face ending and it resolved things but it didn't go beyond that. An epilogue would have made this book simply perfect but nevertheless it was a satisfying, fun read from Shalvis! I definitely suggest you get this book if your looking for a fun read or your a fan of contemporary books because Time Out does not disappoint!

Rating: 4 hears~ Jill Shalvis is a master at writing, every book I read by her so far is simply wonderful! She's a must buy author!

Quotes taken from ARC, subjected to change.

First:

As always, Rainey's brain was full, too full, but one thought kept rising to the top and wouldn't leave her alone.

Favorite:

Dear mother of god.

Teaser:

"I wouldn't mind him exerting his authority on me."

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