5 stars

Blog Tour Review: Room for You by Beth Ehemann

Blog Tour Review: Room for You by Beth EhemannRoom For You by Beth Ehemann
Series: Cranberry Inn #1
on October 22, 2013
Genres: Romance
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Four years ago, my dreams were shattered in an instant.

I tried to pick up the pieces and glue them back together the best I knew how, but something was always missing.

A father for my two girls.

But then, Brody Murphy landed on my doorstep, literally. He was a carefree, playful hockey player who barged into my life and messed with my head. He left me more confused than I had ever been.

What if the one thing I thought I needed was the only thing holding me back?

(more…)

About Beth Ehemann

Beth Ehemann lives in the northern suburbs of Chicago with her 4 children and her husband, who is really just a big kid himself most of the time. She loves reading, writing, photography, martinis and all things Chicago Cubs.

BLOG TOUR: IF FOREVER COMES BY A.L. JACKSON (Review and Giveaways)

Title: If Forever Comes
Author: A.L. Jackson
If Forever Comes, the final chapter in the New York Times Bestselling Regret Series (Lost to You and
Take This Regret). 
Christian Davison’s life is complete. With a ring on Elizabeth’s finger and his daughter at his side, he’s ready to run headlong into their future. 
Elizabeth Ayers never believed she would again find this kind of joy—the joy of a family and the wholeness found in the touch of the man she’s always loved. 
Their love is intense and their passion only grows as they set out to rediscover each other. 
But life is never easy. 
Rocked by the unforeseen, Christian and Elizabeth will find themselves fighting for the one thing they hold most important—family. 
We have been aware of how Christian and Elizabeth concluded their relationship in Take this Regret. We all fell in love with their story as they struggle to fight for it until finally they got their happy ending. 
In this book we were again reminded of how special their love is. But relationships are not just loads of hearts and flowers. Christian and Elizabeth’s love for each other is tested time and again by scheming circumstances yet each time it is their boundless love that emerges victorious. However, a tragic set of events forced them to separate and their lives drift apart. 
Will their boundless love still be able to bring them together again? 
I am totally stunned and almost speechless. 
Knees trembling, heart pounding, nerve wrecking, tears overflowing. 
I saw it coming! 
This ARC has been sitting in my kindle for quite some time. But I never really had the courage to grab it because I know it will wreck me into pieces. I have no words to describe how I feel about this story except… IT’S ME. THIS IS MY STORY. 
It’s been a while since I’ve had this much connection with a story. I felt the same pain, the same loss and it feels like Im reliving the entire situation all over again. People may not understand Elizabeth and how she shuts herself off from the world but for someone who has gone through the same damage like me, I’d say it was pretty normal. The same lines, the same dialogues echoing through my mind, as if I’m hearing myself. I feel for her. 
Like with most of her romances, A.L. Jackson is not afraid to push boundaries when it comes to plot. If Forever Comes is written in a unique way, making alternate POVs of the leads in present day and flashbacks. Ms. Jackson’s writing and pacing was a top notch and the characters are strongly developed. They speak believable dialogues that you can actually feel the confusion and the indecision through them. She always does an amazing job of making her readers feel for her characters as well as forcing them to really think about the situation and what they can learn from it. 
I can’t say much about the plot without spoiling it for future readers. But, what I can say is that the intensity starts from the first chapter and does not stop until the explosive and heart-wrenching scenes in the middle up to the emotional, touching ending. 
I find If Forever Comes to be a satisfying and adrenaline-pumping conclusion to an already amazing series. The journey of Elizabeth and Christian was mind-blowing and emotionally taxing, but definitely worth the reader’s time and energy. 
This is a wild ride and one I thoroughly enjoyed! 
If you are someone who enjoys passionate characters struggling with relationships and will pull at your heartstrings, If Forever Comes is the perfect fit to your reading needs. 

Favorite Line: 

“Maybe that was the problem between Christian and me. Maybe the connection that bouns us was too overwhelming, too powerful, too much. Maybe a love that flamed so bright could only burn us into the ground. Maybe it was inevitable, our ruin. Maybe we’d already been set up for destruction, because something so strong made it inherently weak.”

A.L. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Take This Regret and Lost to You, as well as other contemporary romance titles, including Pulled and When We Collide. 
She first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student. She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life. 
Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three children. Her favorite pastime is spending time with the ones she loves. 

AMAZON | B&N

Book Review: TIDAL by Emily Snow

Title: Tidal
Author: Emily Snow

*New Adult Romance*
Now that Willow Avery is out of rehab, she’s got one chance left to prove herself before she’s officially on every producer’s shit list. At least, that’s what her parents and agent are claiming. She doesn’t really give a damn if she never makes another movie or not—she just wants to get on with her life, get back to her friends, and find her next escape. But Willow is broke. And whether she likes it or not, acting is the only job she knows how to do.
When she accepts the lead in a beach drama, Willow finds herself in Hawaii. And in Hawaii, she finds Cooper, the gorgeous surfer hired to train her for her new role. With the bluest eyes she’s ever seen and the sexiest Australian accent she’s ever heard, Cooper’s different from the men she’s used to. He doesn’t want to use her. And he refuses to let her fail. But when an old friend re-enters Willow’s life—a friend whose toxicity she’s been drawn to time and time before and whose presence brings about the painful memories she’s tried so hard to suppress—Willow will have to choose between the girl she was and the person she’s becoming. The lifestyle that helps her forget the pain and the guy she’s falling hard for.
Tidal. What an apropos name for this book. Not because it takes place in Hawaii with an hot Australian surfer, but because this book had me riding a bitchen wave of emotions! Seriously, I had no idea. This book has an epilogue that I can’t shake. The ending was simply the BEST ending of any book that I’ve read. Yes, of all the books that I’ve read… This. Is. My. Favorite. Ending.
Willow Avery is the Hollywood starlet with a tainted past. Sounds like a predictable character does it not? Oh Willow is anything but, she is an amazing multi layered individual with issues. She’s imperfect and riddled with self doubt. She craves approval. She’s been wounded, she even believes she’s damaged beyond repair, but she refuses to be broken. Through her, we experience the unfamiliar side of Hollywood and the life of a celebrity not depicted in tabloids.
Cooper Taylor hates everything Hollywood, and isn’t afraid to let his feelings be known. He is that straight forward, a pull-no-punches kind of man. We are completely aware of how he feels and what he wants, Cooper plays no games. He isn’t perfect, but in my opinion, he is damn near. He realizes early on that Willow is so much more. He falls for her, and he falls hard. He refuses to let her fail and continue to go through life alone.
“Don’t ever doubt me again, Willow. The whole time you’ve been here I’ve told you two things until I was blue in the face — that I’ll look after you and that I’m not wishy-washy. If you’ve got to go fix yourself, nothing that I feel for you changes. I won’t stop loving you.”
Emily Snow you have capsized me and I love you for it!! What a seamless story you have written. I adore the fact that you’ve given us a wounded heroine that refuses to become another statistic. I love that this story deals with real life issues with class and utmost compassion. I love that you’ve presented us with complex characters and an oh-so-hot romance. I love that you’ve given us a smoking male lead who is willing to fight for his girl, a man who believes and sees the good in her when others do not.
The end of this book slayed me. Utter perfection. If I wasn’t in love with Cooper prior to the epilogue (which I was), I didn’t have a chance. Are you KIDDING ME??!! I have read and re-read the conclusion too many times to count! Could that have been any more perfect??? Uhm… NO!!!!! I cried. I cried a whoa big ugly cry, not because I was sad… but because oh my, really?? What a flawless way to end the tale of an amazing love.
I glanced over my shoulder, meeting his blue eyes, and nodded quickly.
Unquestionably.
“Yes, ” I said.
I had never been more certain of anything in my life


Emily Snow is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the erotic romance series Devoured, which includes Devoured, All Over You, and Consumed, as well as the new adult novel Tidal. She loves books, sexy bad boys, and really loud rock music, so naturally, she writes stories about all three. 



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Relaunch: Picturing Perfect by Melissa Brown (REVIEW and GIVEAWAYS)

Life may not turn out like we planned, but sometimes that’s what makes it perfect…
Hadley Foster has always been a planner. But, since the age of nineteen, things haven’t exactly gone according to plan… not at all. And the changes continue to mount when a trip to Europe with her best friend starts a domino effect in all aspects of her life. Suddenly, the future she had envisioned for herself seems unlikely to happen. It’s time to, make a new plan… or accept the dominoes as they fall.
Jason Kelly has a great life. He’s a successful self-published writer who’s living his dreams. But, something is missing. Hadley Foster. Letting her slip through his fingers is one of his biggest regrets. Over time, he had to accept the idea of being without his first love as he watched her fall in love with someone else.
When circumstances bring Jason and Hadley back into one another’s lives, they’re forced to deal with their past, their present and the possibility of a future together
So you are home and flipping through the cable guide and you happen upon that one movie…the one movie that watch over and over again. You can start it at 5 or 50 minutes in and you will still watch it. You know it by heart. Heck you even own it but you decide at that moment you need to watch it again commercials be damned! When I read a Melissa Brown book I get that feeling! Hopping on for a lawnmower ride into the sunset, testing the neighbors’ noise tolerance with a boom box placed above your head or kissing “the guy” over your one and only birthday cake rates right there with finishing Melissa Brown books! In Picturing Perfect, book three of the Love of My Life series, I am hearing the strings while walking into that school dance in hope of getting the guy and I am ready to pick the book back up at page 1 or even page 101! 
Score one for the nerdy boys with Picturing Perfect. We got a taste of Jason in Champagne Toast and I am guessing after that you never looked at a graphic t-shirt the same way again because I know I don’t. Even though Jason had sights on Kate in Champagne Toast his heart was taken a very long time ago by none other than his baby sister’s best bud Hadley. As always time is no one’s friend and each of them have found paths to follow that lacked what they needed most, each other. When life throws them back together they are forced to deal with the issues of the past and what the future may bring. Both Hadley and Jason have created a life without each other based on miss understands and once the truth is laid out will they both be able to see what was in front of them all along? 
Ok I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! Oh wait…did I say I loved it…no I live for this book! I so fell for Jason in Champagne Toast because he is so the guy I want! Sweet, yummy, kind, and just an all-around good person. There are parts in this book that I awww’ed out loud and said to myself why can’t real guys be like book boyfriends! SO NOT FAIR!!! Thank you Melissa Brown for creating these men! Let’s not forget about the girls! Hadley is just perfect! I so related to her! She was strong and although life may not have been perfect she pulled herself up and did what was best for her. With Hadley and Jason Melissa has created two characters that not only have you cheering their every move but characters you want to call your best friend. This is a beautiful modern love story that proves love doesn’t have to be perfect to be real. Some call Melissa Brown the Queen of Romance but it is so much more than that. After reading Picturing Perfect I found that she not only gives us love but she gives us hope. Hope for change and finding what makes you happy. Creating stories that you want to read over and over again! I am so looking forward to book four in the Love of My Life Series that I maybe stalking her till I get it and after you read Picturing Perfect you may be doing the same!!
The strings…
AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
I have always been fascinated with books—-ever since I was a little girl sitting in front of my record player, following along with my huge 12×12 storybooks.
I love books—everything about them. I love reading them, being surrounded by them in bookstores and libraries, and most recently, writing some of my own.
“Bouquet Toss” is available as an e-book and paperback on Amazon.com. It is a story that is very close to my heart, one that was very cathartic to write and has opened me up to all sorts of writing possibilities.
“Champagne Toast” is a companion book to Bouquet Toss and was released on January 8th and is also available as an e-book and paperback through amazon.

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BLOG TOUR: Part #2 Nocturne by Andrea Randall and Charles Sheehan – Miles

Nocturne
Savannah Marshall is a gifted flutist and daughter of musical royalty when she enrolls in the elite New England Conservatory of Music. Brilliant, eclectic and passionate, she lives music, but struggles with her plans for the future.

Gregory Fitzgerald is one of the most renowned cellists of his generation. A member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and professor at the Conservatory, he is laser focused on his career to the exclusion of friends, family and especially romance.

When Gregory and Savannah’s paths cross in the classroom, it threatens to challenge more than their wildly differing beliefs on music. Friendships, ethics, and careers are put on the line as Gregory and Savannah play a symphony of passion and heartbreak.

In the final movement, Gregory and Savannah are handed their greatest challenge, as the loss of absolutely everything they’ve held as truths hangs in the balance.

 
 
 
 
NOCTURNE DEFINITION:
A musical composition that has a romantic or dreamy character with nocturnal associations.
What happens when two of your favorite authors combine their writing skills…a symphony of words that are a treat for the eye.  As sole authors both have proven that they have the chops to create stories full of beauty, angst, and joy.  Together they are pushing the limits while taking angst to a whole new level. 
“The music demanded a devotion that required every bit of attention I could muster, no matter how painful it might be, no matter how much time it took. I’d devoted my life to music, letting it take priority…over everything.”
Nocturne is more than just a love story.  From personal self-discovery to the moral struggle of what is right and what your heart wants to do.  Savannah and Gregory are both complicated and beautifully flawed.  Savannah is fighting to overcome the shadow of musical greatness while Gregory is fighting for control.  As a teacher, Gregory believes that music is a set of structured lines and notes on a staff that can be mastered with practice.  With practice comes the ability to create greatness.  Gregory approaches life with a similar mindset believing that music and life are both works in progress that scream for militant hard work with no room for creativity.  Savannah is a rule breaker.  For Savannah music is creation.  Can Savannah school the teachers that life can be taken from flat to sharp while still keeping your musical morals in tack?
“You’re always so…structured. But broody.  Dark. Sometimes I think there’s something inside of you just ready to explode.”
The push and pull that unfolds between Savannah and Gregory is anything but structured as they both test moral boundaries.  They are both challenging the limits.  
“Gregory stripped himself bare to me on that stage, going against his musical boundaries, pushing his personal limits, and he was asking me, again…”
This story spans ten years and will rock you to your musical core.  We see Savannah and Gregory’s growth.  Savannah’s transition into adulthood and Gregory stepping up to be the man she needs.  Will they both find their coda together?     
“She was my perfect accompaniment, and I feared that I’d ruined that chance forever.”
This duet between Andrea and Charles is full on harmony.  After picking up Andrea’s Ten Days of Perfect I was hooked and through her I found Charles.  Knowing and loving both authors work I thought I would be able to pick out each of their personal writing styles.  I was so wrong.  This story flowed with beauty and drew me in with musical highs and lows.  Nocturne is a treat for the eye and the soul.  This book will test your moral compass and turn everything you thought you believed in upside down.  Black and white becomes gray and as in music everything is not as it seems.   I am in debt to the writing Gods for bring these writing soul mates together.
“Music always sounded better with him. With us.”
 

 
 
 
 
Andrea Randall
 

I started writing poetry long before writing fiction. I firmly believe Poetry is a solid foundation for all other forms of writing. It taught me that a single word can make or break the world.

I write fiction because my characters have a story and they want me to tell it.

I hope you enjoy the pieces of my soul that I share with you.

 
Twitter: @ARandallAuthor
 
 
Charles Sheehan-Miles
 

Charles Sheehan-Miles has been a soldier, computer programmer, short-order cook and non-profit executive, and is the author of several fiction and non-fiction books, including the Thompson Sisters series and Republic: A Novel of America’s Future.

Twitter: @CSheehanMiles
 
 
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Blog Tour: The Opportunist & Dirty Red by Tarryn Fisher (Reviews, Excerpt & Giveaways)

Olivia Kaspen has just discovered that her ex-boyfriend, Caleb Drake, has lost his memory. With an already lousy reputation for taking advantage of situations, Olivia must decide how far she is willing to go to get Caleb back. Wrestling to keep her true identity and their sordid past under wraps, Olivia’s greatest obstacle is Caleb’s wicked, new girlfriend; Leah Smith. It is a race to the finish as these two vipers engage in a vicious tug of war to possess a man who no longer remembers them. But, soon enough Olivia must face the consequences of her lies, and in the process discover that sometimes love falls short of redemption.

Read my review here: The Opportunist

This is your mind…Happy thoughts! This is your mind after a Tarryn Fisher book…#^$(#*^&#^#&*@????? Any questions?

Dear Opportunist,

You thought you could take him from me, but you lost. Now, that he’s mine I’ll do anything to keep him. Do you doubt me? I have everything that was supposed to be yours. In case you were wondering; he doesn’t ever think about you anymore. I won’t let him go….ever.

Dirty Red

Leah Smith finally has everything she has ever wanted. Except she doesn’t. Her marriage feels more like a loan than a lifelong commitment, and the image she has worked so hard to build is fraying before her eyes. With a new role and a past full of secrets, Leah must decide how far she is willing to go to keep what she has stolen.
Book two in the Love Me With Lies series by Tarryn Fisher doesn’t disappoint! Dirty Red gives us Leah’s story…

“I have done a number of things to keep this man. I have lied and cheated. I have been sexy and meek, fierce and vulnerable. I have been everything but myself.
He is mine right now, but I am never enough for him. I can feel it — see it in the way he looks at me. His eyes are always probing, searching for something. I don’t know what he’s looking for. I wish I did. I cannot compete against a baby — my baby.
I am who I am.
My name is Leah, and I will do anything to keep my husband.”

The dirty lies and secrets come out as this story unfolds into a rollercoaster ride well worth the price of admission. When I found out this was going to be a 3 POV series I was on the fence about it. Book two made me love book one even more! Leah is a mix of miserable and down right insane. Forcing a marriage with a child just to prove you have the upper hand, in my opinion, should gift her one back zipping white jacket!

“Caleb is a pretty nice guy.”…”Why would he marry a girl like you?”

I started to feel a little sad and I do mean a little sad for Leah. She was lost as a mother and unable to create a mother/child bond with her daughter. Then again when you have nothing to compare it to how can you blame a woman who is a product of her environment? If Leah is crazy her mother is queen of crazy! If she would have taken five minuets of thought from her evil plans she would have seen that MAYBE a baby was not the answer. She continued to amaze me with every word out of her mouth and as time went on she was NOT winning any mother of the year awards.

Hate and entitlement can destroy a person. Then the crazy takes over! Leah is such person. Her draw to Caleb is an addiction. Like any addiction, the means in which you obtain that high never matter and you don’t care who you hurt in the process.

“Hate is suck a prodigious feeling. It´s hot and oppressive like fire. It starts by burning through your God-given reason until there is nothing left of it but a mound of ash. It moves on to your humanity next, hot tongues flicking across the few remaining threads of innocence until they melt into each other and morph into something ugly. Then, in the rubble of what you were, hate plants a seed of bitterness. The seed grows to a vine chokes what it touches.”

At the heart of Leah pain is the love of a man. A man that she coveted and the thought that she could not have him just might kill her. Although Olivia is not with out blame in this story I still feel that Leah’s actions have far surpassed the crazy train.

“I thought you loved your husband.” She blows air through her nose.
The action reminds me of an agitated horse. Her eyes rove from my shoes and land in disgust on my face. “I love yours too.”

Olivia and Caleb have become pawns in Leah’s dirty fight. Upset rocks the last three words of this book proving that book three will be far from a KO. Leah came to this fight with her hair pulled up and earrings off. Now it will be up to Caleb to provide a TKO! I am keeping my fingers crossed!

“She’s not the enemy. She’s just a dirty fighter.”

Tarryn has created a series that keeps you thinking with twists, turns, and a unique approach to an already crazy story line. The Opportunist drew you in with a story line to rival any daytime soap while Dirty Red provides you the juicy drama to keep you tuned in! Thank you Tarryn! Love Me With Lies is a must read series for me!

I am a real life villain, truly. I drink sick amounts of Starbucks. Most of the time my hair smells like coffee. I was born in South Africa, and lived there for most of my childhood. I moved to Seattle just for the rain. Rome is my favorite place in the world so far, Paris comes in at a close second. I read and write more than I sleep. When I was eleven, I wrote an entire novel about runaway orphans, using only purple ink. I am addicted to Florence and the Machine and will travel to see concerts. I love scary movies and giraffes. I spend way too much time on Facebook. Meet you there?
THE OPPORTUNIST
“I’m not getting in the pool! It is freezing!” 
“It’s November in Florida, Olivia. It’s seventy degrees out. Besides, it’s a heated pool. Man up.” Caleb waded around in his boxers in the turquoise water of the campus swimming pool. I tried to avoid looking at his muscles. 
“You can’t manipulate me into the pool by making a sexist comment,” I said, leaning down to splash him in the face. He grabbed my wrist before I had time to withdraw. 
Our eyes locked. 
“Don’t,” I warned. For a second, I didn’t think he’d have the guts. Next thing I knew, I tumbled headfirst into the freezing water. 
I came up gasping for air, my hair wrapped unbecomingly around my face. Caleb peeled it away, laughing. 
“I can’t believe you did that!” I gasped, shoving him on the chest. It felt like I was pushing on hot rocks. 
“You look good wet,” he said. “It would probably be easier to swim if you took off some of your clothes.” 
Shooting him a searing look, I started a breaststroke toward the side of the pool. 
“Ahh, not one for fun I see.” His voice was light when he said it but there was a definite challenge in his tone. 
“Screw it,” I mumbled, stopping a foot away from the ladder. I was the type of girl that would ‘jump off of a bridge’ to spite my friends. I was wearing my good underwear anyway. I ducked under the water and shed my polyester skin like a snake. I resurfaced seconds later with just my skivvies on. 
Caleb unconsciously mouthed ‘wow.’ 
“To your fun,” I toasted him with my sopping wet clothes and then threw them at his head. He dodged and circled around to where I was treading water. 
“Nice lace,” he smirked, eyeing me without shame. 
“Can you not make it so obvious that you’re looking?” I felt violated. I submerged myself under the water until only my head was visible. 
“I thought our relationship was about honesty,” he smiled. 
“Pffffff,” I snickered, “our ‘relationship’ is based on dares and blackmail.” 
His eyes were twinkling. He had such expressive eyes. I wanted to crush that twinkle and kick him where it hurt. 
“Blackmail is such a harsh word,” he said, as he swam closer. 
“You threatened to tell the school newspaper that I was the reason you missed the shot, Drake.” 
He was way too close for comfort now. I began peddling backwards. There was a scar at the corner of his right eye that I had never noticed before. It was just a faint crescent moon, but somehow it made him look dangerous— in a sexy way. I shook my head. These thoughts were not mine… they were Cammie’s— damn her. 
“How did you get that scar?” I asked. 
I shuffled along the bottom of the pool on my tiptoes to get away from him. He absently reached a finger out to touch it. 
“I stole a pound note from my grandfather’s wallet and when he caught me, he decided to punish me with his walking stick.” 
I felt one of those, ‘this is why he’s messed up,’ moments coming on and I prepared myself to understand him. 
“Really?” 
“No.” 
I felt myself color red. I punched him on the arm as hard as I could. 
“I fell off my bike when I was twelve,” he laughed, rubbing the spot where I hit him. “A very boring story.” 
“At least it’s the truth,” I said, exasperated. “Someone like you doesn’t need to lie to be interesting.” 
“Someone like me?” he asked. “You find me interesting, Libby?” 
“No, I don’t, and don’t call me Libby. You know, you’re really quite simple and boring,” I sniffed. 
He was looking away from me into the water. 
“Did you drop a piece of your jewelry?” 
“What?” His attention had shifted so suddenly, I felt offended. 
“There’s something down there at the bottom of the pool.” He was pointing to a spot between our feet. I narrowed my eyes, trying to see what he was staring at. 
“I’m not wearing any jewelry,” I said impatiently, “it’s probably just a penny or something.” 
I nudged it with my toe. It was bigger than a penny. Before he could say anything else, I ducked my head under the water to retrieve it. When my head broke the surface of the water, Caleb automatically scooted closer. 
“What is it?” he was staring at my clenched fist. 
“Let’s see,” I said theatrically, pulling my fingers slowly away from my palm. It was not jewelry. It was an old penny, flattened, and stamped with a message that entitled its bearer one free shot of affection, a kiss. Before I realized what I was doing, I dropped the souvenir into his palm. 
“You’re full of tricks tonight, aren’t you?” He was laughing… always laughing. 
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 
Before I could retort with something clever, Caleb reached out and scooped me around my waist. Even in the cold water, his touch felt scorching hot. He pulled me toward him and our bodies were pressed together, belly-to-belly, chest-to-chest. I was so shocked, that at first I made no protest. I hadn’t been this spatially close to another human being since I was an infant. He grinned, his eyes turning smoky with what I perceived as lust. 
I gave up fighting and allowed my lips to be steered toward his. This is for Cammie, I told myself. There was no ‘nice and easy’ with this boy. He grazed his tongue along the inside of my bottom lip. He was gentle at first, trying to coax my stubborn lips into some form of cooperation. I responded with the only thing I knew: frigid prudery. Caleb, undaunted by my lack of enthusiasm, pulled away from me. His hands were wrapped around my waist, his fingers positioned right beneath my panty line. Our foreheads were touching and my breath was coming out in little gasps. It was embarrassing. 
“Kiss me back, Olivia.” His voice was commanding, and for a second, I felt a flare of rebellion like I did when he instructed me to put on my seat belt. I swallowed hard and closed my eyes. I didn’t win that fight. I probably wouldn’t win this one either. I might not even want to win it. 
I could do it. Kissing was a no-brainer, like eating or walking. His lips came back a second time and I bent my head toward him, tilted like in the movies. I was ready this time, willing even. I jumped when we connected and his lips, which were pressed against mine, stretched into an amused smile. He laughed into my mouth. It was infuriating and incredibly sexy. I tried to pull away, but he pulled me back. The kiss. The kiss. The kiss. It was chocolate cake and fizzy passion and goose bumps. No one had ever kissed me like that before. 
Then, he did the strangest thing— he pulled away and held me at arm’s length. The spell was broken. 
“Olivia…” His voice was rough. 
I shook my head. I didn’t want to hear what he was going to say. 
“I have to go,” I said quickly. 
DIRTY RED
She looks the same. Raven hair hanging wildly to her waist. She looks almost gypsy-like in her teal linen pants and a cream sheath shirt that hangs casually off one defined shoulder. I eye her gold hoop earrings, which are big enough to fit my entire hand through. They make her look exotic and slightly dangerous. She has always made me feel plain. 
Her eyes rove over the handful of occupants in the diner, searching for a face she recognizes: an old man, a couple who share the same side of a booth, two servers folding silverware into napkins … and me. 
I see the shock overcome her features — the parting of her lips, the slight spreading of white around her irises. Suddenly, she stiffens. Her eyes chase to the four corners of the room, and I know she is looking for him. I shake my head to tell her he’s not here. I take a sip of my coffee and I wait. 
She moves with purpose toward my table. When she reaches where I am sitting, she doesn’t sit but stares at me expectantly. 
“An old client?” She says dryly. 
“Well, I am, aren’t I?” I motion for her to sit. I’d sent an anonymous message to her office, claiming I was an old client in desperate legal trouble. I’d asked her to meet me at a diner named Tiffany’s. I had no idea if she’d come or not, but it was better than showing up at her office. 
She slides cautiously into the seat across from me, never taking her eyes from my face. 
“Well, what the fuck do you want?” 
I flinch. Louboutins or not, she’s still the same crass piece of white trash she used to be. 
“I thought maybe you could look over this document for me.” I reach into my purse and pull out the papers I’d stolen from Caleb’s filing cabinet. Placing them on the table, I slide them toward her. 
“What is this?” she asks. She eyes me distastefully. How dare she look at me that way? She has singlehandedly ruined my life. I’d have everything if it weren’t for her devious, overreaching hands. 
I’d probably also be in prison. I push that thought away. Now is not the time for gratitude. Now is the time for answers. I poke the document in front of her. 
“Take a look. See for yourself.” 
Without moving her head, she looks at the papers then back to me. It’s a smooth, hard, impressive piece of intimidation. The art of her body language is something to be admired. 
“Why would I want to do that?” she says. 
She’s making me feel chilled. I get a flashback of being on the witness stand, and my heart rate spikes. I practice to see if I can do it too. 
“It’s Caleb’s,” I say, only moving my lips. 
I don’t know whether it’s the mention of his name or if my imitation of her body language is working, but she tenses. 
A server approaches our table. Olivia reaches for the papers. 
“Get her a coffee, two creamers.” I say, waving him away. He hurries off. Olivia, who is reading, briefly glances up at me. I spent almost every day with her for nine months. I know what she likes. 
I sip my coffee as she reads, watching her face. 
Her coffee arrives. Without looking up, she pulls the lids from the creamers and dumps them into her cup. 
She lifts the mug to her lips, but halfway there her hand freezes. Coffee spills onto the table as she slams the mug down. Abruptly, she stands up. 
“Where did you get that?” 
She is backing away from the table, shaking her head. “Why is my name on there?” 
I run my tongue across my teeth. “I was hoping you could tell me that?” 
She bolts for the door. I stand up, tossing a twenty on the table and go after her. 
I follow her into the parking lot and corner her by the newspaper stand. “You are not getting out of explaining why your name is on this deed along with my husband’s!” 
Her face is washed of color. She shakes her head. “I don’t know, Leah. He never — I don’t know.” 
She covers her face with her palms, and I hear her sob. That only makes me angrier. I take a threatening step toward her. 
“You’re sleeping with him, aren’t you?” 
She pulls her hands away and glares at me. 
“No. Of course not! I love my husband.” She is clearly insulted that I would even accuse her of such a thing. 
“I love mine!” My voice cracks. “ — So, why does he love you?” 
She looks at me with true loathing. 
“He doesn’t,” she says simply. “He chose you.” It pains her to give me those words. I can see the emotion spilling from her skin. 
I hold up the deed and shake it. “He bought you a house. Why did he buy you a fucking house?” 
She snatches the deed from my fingers and points to a date. “Did you miss this little detail? Long before you, Leah.” She shoves it back at my chest. “But, you know that. So, why did you really trick me into coming here?” 
I swallow — a nervous reaction. She sees it and smiles cruelly. 
“I should have let them throw you in prison, you know that.” 
She turns away, walking toward her car door. Her statement infuriates me. I follow her, digging my fingernails into my palms, I breathe through my nose. 
“So you could have him?” I blurt. My blood pounds in my ears. I ask myself that question all the time. I say it again. “You should have lost the case so you could have him?” 
She freezes, looks at me over her shoulder. 
“Yeah.” 
I didn’t expect the truth. It frightens me. I open my mouth — force the words out. “I thought you loved your husband.” 
She blows air through her nose. The action reminds me of an agitated horse. Her eyes rove from my shoes and land in disgust on my face. 
“I love yours too.” 

BLOG TOUR: Stripped by Jasinda Wilder (exclusive excerpt, book trailer, review and giveaway)

Release date August 16, 2013

So how did I get myself into this situation, you ask? Simple: desperation. When you’re faced with being homeless and hungry or taking off your clothes for money, the choice is easier than you’d imagine. That doesn’t make it easy, though. Oh no. I hate it, in fact. There’s nothing I’d like more than to quit and never go into another bar again, never hear the techno beat pulsing in my ears again, never feel the lecherous gazes of horny men again.


Then, one day, I meet a man. He’s in my club, front and center. He watches me do my routine, and his gaze is full of hunger. Not the kind of desire I’m used to though. It’s something different. Something hotter, deeper, and more possessive. I know who he is; of course I do. Everyone knows who Dawson Kellor is. He’s People Magazine’s Sexiest Man alive. He’s the hottest actor in Hollywood. He’s the man hand-picked for the role of Rhett Butler in the long-awaited remake of Gone With the Wind. 


He’s the kind of man who can have any woman in the entire world with a mere crook of his finger. So what’s he doing looking at me like he has to have me? And how do I resist him when he looks at me with those intoxicating, changeable, quicksilver eyes? 


I’m a virgin, and he’s an American icon of male sexuality. I’m a stripper, and he’s a man used to getting anything and everything he wants. And he wants me. I know I should say no, I know he’s the worst kind of player…but what my mind knows, my body and my heart may not.


And then things get complicated.


“No daughter of mine will engage in any such lewd and sinful behavior as dancing.”
These are the warning words of Grey Armunsen’s father who is the founder and executive pastor of Macon Contemporary Baptist Church. Grey is a straitlaced young lady who goes to another state for film school and that’s where her life basically spirals downhill. She has to make decisions so that she can fulfill her dreams, without the support of her father. As a reader, I was tapped into a very realistic world wherein a young woman has to confront life, dreams, and reality head-on. Life is hard. Dreams are sometimes even harder to reach. And reality can be the biggest barrier to reaching your dreams.
I loved Grey’s character. She’s strong, willful and has a lot of personality. When she meets our hero, Dawson, a guy who seems to have everything – fame, money, power – the tension between them is sizzling!! Dawson, oh Dawson…He is such a hot man! He is handsome, understanding, strong, and smart! He knows what he wants and goes for it.
These are just some of the quotes I loved:
“All the world is silent and still. The sun hasn’t moved in its arc across the sky. Motes of dust hang in the sunlight, frozen like beads of amber…”
“You make me feel alive, Grey. And…I love that feeling.”
Ms. Wilder’s writing is flawless, exceptional, and breathtaking. As a reader, you’re treated to a wonderful blend of chasm, angst, humor, and whew! burning hotttt love scenes! The love scenes though are not gratuitous; they are essential to establish the strong passionate connection between Grey and Dawson. The secondary characters are a very interesting mix – you get to see the Hollywood lifestyle, the glitter and the glamour and you also get to read about life in a simple town. Ms. Wilder creates a world where you can get lost into and I have a hard time finding my way back. She yields great commands of words, almost prose-like, and I am left in awe.
I also loved the cover – I think it’s great and appropriate for the story. I truly am a fan of this author. I will read anything she writes. ANYTHING. Stripped – this is really a great story of life, love, choices, family. 

FIVE AHHMAZZINGLY STRIP-WORTHY STARS!!!!!

Chapter 1 (Part 1) 
“No daughter of mine will engage in any such lewd and sinful behavior as dancing,” Daddy says to me, his blue eyes blazing. “It is gross and immodest and entirely sexual. I’ve seen the kind of dancing those…those harlots engage in at that so-called academy. You will not attend.” 

I screw my eyes shut and restrain the urge to scream and stomp my foot. I’m sixteen and a lady. Stomping my foot does not become a lady. At least, that’s what Mom tells me. “Daddy, please. Please. I won’t do anything like that. I’ll be modest, I promise. You can okay each dance, each outfit. Just…please. Please, please, let me dance.” I clasp my hands in front of me and dip at the knees, giving him my best puppy-dog eyes. 

He’s wavering. I can sense it in him. “Grey, I don’t approve of dancing. God does not approve of dancing.” 

Mom to the rescue: “Now, Erik, you know that’s not what the Scriptures say. You’re just being a cantankerous old dinosaur. David danced before the Lord. The Psalms mention dancing to honor the Lord in several passages.” She glides to Daddy’s side and presses up against his arm, resting her hand on his shoulder. “Our daughter knows right from wrong, and you know it. She just wants to bring glory to God by using the talents He’s given her.” 

“Please, Daddy. I won’t allow any choreography that’s lewd or sexual.” I can barely breathe from the burning weight of hope in my chest. 

He glances from me to Mom and back. I can see him chewing it over in his head. “I’ll allow it…for now. But at the first sign of anything sinful or ungodly, I’ll pull you out of there so fast you won’t even have time for your head to spin. You hear me, child?” 

I hug him, squeal with joy. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” 

“Don’t disappoint me, Grey. You are a pastor’s daughter. You have to set a fitting example for the entire community.” 

“I will, Daddy. I’ll be the best example. I promise, I promise.” I spin away from him and dance a few flowing steps away, then settle into an arabesque, which I hold for a moment. I turn back to him. “See? Nothing wrong with that, is there?” 

He just narrows his eyes at me. “I have to finish preparing Sunday’s sermon.” 

Daddy is the founder and executive pastor of Macon Contemporary Baptist Church, one of the largest churches in the entire state of Georgia. Granddaddy Amundsen was the hellfire and brimstone pastor of a tiny Reformed Baptist church in the backwoods of Georgia, so Daddy grew up a pastor’s kid, was groomed for the pulpit his whole life. Granddaddy was even more strict than Daddy, impossible as it seemed. He didn’t even approve of me wearing pants or shorts, even as a little kid, but Daddy let me get away with that as long as the shorts weren’t too short or the pants too tight. To Granddaddy, women stayed in the kitchen, wore dresses, and were seen and not heard. He was a bit of a fossil, Granddaddy. He never approved of the fact that Daddy taught the more modern and contemporary Baptist theology. 

I’ve been dancing in secret since I was fifteen, watching Internet videos, teaching myself, watching So You Think You Can Dance on my laptop and trying to imitate the choreography. Mom helped me out a bit this past year, taking me to dance classes on Saturday mornings, telling Daddy it was manicure-pedicure appointments. He approved of mani-pedis as little as he did everything else, but he had a hard time saying no to me and Mama, so he let us go. He didn’t need to know about the secret dance classes as long as Mom was driving me. Of course, Mom and I really do get mani-pedis after dance, but that’s beside the point. 

I grin at Daddy as I dance out of his study. 

Mom is waiting for me in the kitchen. “There you go, Grey. Now you can dance all you want and not worry about either of us getting in trouble.” 

I hug Mom and give her a kiss on the forehead. “Thank you, Mom. I know you didn’t like lying to Daddy—” 

She glares at me, silencing me with a finger over my lips. “I never lied. Not once. He asked if we were going to get our nails done, and that’s what we did. If he didn’t ask where else we went, that’s not lying. If he had ever asked me directly if I was taking you to dance classes, I would have told him. You know that.”


New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jasinda Wilder is a Michigan native with a penchant for titillating tales about sexy men and strong women. When she’s not writing, she’s probably shopping, baking, or reading. 


​Some of her favorite authors include Nora Roberts, JR Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Liliana Hart and Bella Andre. 


She loves to travel and some of her favorite vacations spots are Las Vegas, New York City and Toledo, Ohio. 


You can often find Jasinda drinking sweet red wine with frozen berries and eating a cupcake. 


Jasinda is represented by Kristin Nelson of the Nelson Literary Agency.

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Book Review: One Tiny Lie by K.A. Tucker

Title: One Tiny Lie
Author: K.A. Tucker

Livie has always been the stable one of the two Cleary sisters, handling her parents’ tragic death and Kacey’s self-destructive phase with strength and maturity. But underneath that exterior is a little girl hanging onto the last words her father ever spoke to her. “Make me proud,” he had said. She promised she would…and she’s done her best over the past seven years with every choice, with every word, with every action.
Livie walks into Princeton with a solid plan, and she’s dead set on delivering on it: Rock her classes, set herself up for medical school, and meet a good, respectable guy that she’s going to someday marry. What isn’t part of her plan are Jell-O shots, a lovable, party animal roommate she can’t say ‘no’ to, and Ashton, the gorgeous captain of the men’s rowing team. Definitely him. He’s an arrogant ass who makes Livie’s usually non-existent temper flare and everything she doesn’t want in a guy. Worse, he’s best friends and roommates with Connor, who happens to fits Livie’s criteria perfectly. So why does she keep thinking about Ashton?
As Livie finds herself facing mediocre grades, career aspirations she no longer thinks she can handle, and feelings for Ashton that she shouldn’t have, she’s forced to let go of her last promise to her father and, with it, the only identity that she knows.

“The only thing I regret is that it ever ended. And I’m the one who’s jealous. Insanely so.”

Swooon!!!
This book is the follow-up to the Ten Tiny Breaths. It depicts the challenges that Livie, Kacey’s sister, 
goes through in college. When we met Livie in the first book, we know that she’s a strait-laced girl. Innocent and has planned her life to become a doctor. She seems to be doing well UNTIL a night filled with Jell-O shots introduces her to an uber-hot guy named Ashton. 
Ashton…oh my dear…he’s such a broken guy who falls in love with a seemingly perfect girl, Livie. As readers, we experience the struggles that this couple goes through. The constant battle if they’re right for and with each other. As always, the author’s writing is impeccable so you get drawn in the story and once you know it, five-six-eight hours have passed and you’re still sitting on the same spot on the couch, reading. 
I absolutely fell in love with ALL of the characters. They all had different and engaging personalities who you can empathize with, get mad at, and laugh with. 
Livie goes through her own self-discovery and with the help of Dr. Stayner (who is the most unorthodox but may be the most brilliant psychiatrist there is), she is able to confront her hidden fears and becomes a better woman for it. Dr. Stayner also helps Ashton free himself from the bounds that were keeping him from letting go. 

“You’re my forever girl.” 

Ashton, the hero in the book, is going on my top ten BBF. I wanted to throw rocks at him. I adored him. I cried for him. The myriad of emotions that I went through in reading this book should be Oscar-worthy because this really is such a rich, emotionally charged book. I am very happy and content with the ending but I truly want more. I am now officially signing myself as a member of the K.A. Tucker’s fan club. 
5 HONEST TO GOODNESS SUPER STARS!!!


Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons.

She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit.

Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.



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READ MLO’S 5 STAR REVIEW OF TEN TINY BREATHS

Book Review: Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker

Title: Ten Tiny Breaths
Author: K.A. Tucker

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.
Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.
But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

I have to start off by saying that anything K.A. Tucker writes, I will one-click. Ms. Tucker’s writing is flawless.

The premise – finding yourself after a tragedy is one that has been written many times over. BUT, I have not read a story like this. Kacey Cleary is a broken heroine. She’s trying to live her life after her parents died in a tragedy. It’s tough enough to do this while you’re alone. How much more when you have a little sister that you have to look out for? To make matters worse, their Uncle Raymond has started to look at her little sister with “interest” and Kacey has made the decision that they have to get out of that house. Moving to another place becomes the setting for the whole story. In the apartment where they move to, they form friendships with unlikely people, people that they may have never bothered to even talk to in their previous lives. It’s also in this place, where Kacey meets a mysterious guy named Trent.

Trent is trying to find a way to reconcile with his past mistake. A mistake that has cost him to run from his own life. The author weaves the connections between the characters so intricately that the readers are kept in suspense and kept wanting to read more. I don’t want to give away too much because REALLY, you have to read it!

My favorite line in this book? There are so many…But here are the top three:

“Our past isn’t who we are. I’m me and you’re you and that’s what we need to be.”

“I want to make you smile. For real. Always. We’re going to go for dinners, and see movies, and walk on the beach. We’ll go hang gliding, or bungee jumping, or whatever you want to do…Let me make you smile.”

“Forever’s not long enough when it’s with you.”

This is just exceptional writing! I am looking forward to MANY of Ms. Tucker’s books in the future. Thank you for such a wonderful story!



5 BREATHTAKING STARS!!!
Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. 
She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. 
Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.


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WATCH OUT FOR ONE TINY LIE REVIEW TOMORROW

BLOG TOUR: Seeds of Hate by Melissa Perea (review and excerpt)

Seeds of Hate by Melissa Perea
They said high school would be fun.
They said we would make forever friends.
They said we would have the time of our lives.

They lied

Chapter 14 – The Bakery (Selah)

A young woman began pushing an empty stroller back and forth two tables down
from mine. Did she forget her baby wasn’t there? An older man sat alone reading
the morning paper. Did he lose his wife? And two children ran around grabbing
at their mother, while another threw Cheerios at her face. Where was her
husband?
I continued to watch the lives of those around me.
The entrance door chimed as a man with an infant headed toward the empty
stroller. He placed the baby down and dropped a bag overloaded with toys and
diapers. The young woman stopped pushing and froze. She looked down at the
older man reading the newspaper and then back at the stroller. Her eyes closed
and then opened. The young man rubbed the stubble on his chin and his
shoulders dropped. He had dark circles around his eyes and his shirt on inside
out. They exchanged no words.
The young woman reached out to touch him, but he turned and walked away.
A drop fell from her eyes, down her chin and onto the floor.
The older man stood and embraced the young woman. She breathed heavily
and hunched inward—a jacket of disappointment covering her back. The infant
began to cry and the young woman snapped. Leaving the embrace, she picked up
the child and held it close. Grabbing the bag off the floor, she wiped at her face
and headed toward the door. The older man followed behind, pushing the
stroller.
She stopped at the door and turned around. She placed a small kiss on the
man’s left cheek. “Thank you for coming, Daddy,” she said.
He rubbed her chin and smiled. “Give him time,” he replied.
The three of them proceeded out and down the street. The heavy atmosphere
following them.
Was anyone spared? Or did all life come with pain?
Once the bakery slowed, Izzy took a break and joined me.
“Anything interesting?” he asked.
“Do you think people are ever happy?” I asked.
He pushed himself back against the window and propped his legs up on the
vinyl seat. “Of course,” he said. “Plenty of people are happy.”
“Are you?” I asked.
“At the moment, no. At the moment, I’m tired.” He yawned into his fist,
leaned over the table and grabbed my coffee. “I think I’m immune. It never helps
anymore.”
Izzy saw things with such simplicity. I envied him.
“I saw Javier. Yesterday after school,” I said.
He took another sip of my cold, leftover coffee. I wondered if he could taste
my lip gloss.
“He must be coming back,” Izzy said. “Did he talk to you?”
“No.” I sat ripping a napkin into tiny pieces. Then grabbed another one and
ripped some more.
Izzy placed a hand over mine. “He doesn’t talk to anyone. Don’t take it
personal.”
I kept ripping the paper, ignoring his statement. “Do you know Britney?”
Izzy froze and then removed his hand from on top of mine. “Everyone knows
her. Why?”
“Is that the kind of girl you want? The kind of girl guys want?”

“What do you mean by kind?” he asked.

I placed my hands out in front of my chest and cupped them. Then I pouted

my lips and flipped my hair.
“You know. Like that,” I replied.
“Guys see with their eyes,” he said and shrugged.
“So yes. I mean, you’re saying you can’t see past that?”
“Guys see with their eyes and feel with their hands. They like Britney because
she’s easy. It’s not complicated.”
My forehead dropped to the table. Bang. Bang. Bang. The napkin dispenser
and vase jiggled against the vibrations. I lifted my head and looked at my watch.
“I should go,” I said.
Izzy scooted to the edge and stood. “See you Monday?” he asked.
A disgruntled noise escaped my nose and I rubbed my forehead.
“I hear it gets better, you know,” he said.
“What?” I asked.
He offered me his hand and I stood up from the table.
“Life.”
I thought about mine so far. My best years all led up to my tenth birthday. I
smiled at Izzy, but it didn’t touch my eyes. Instead it sat on my face like a soggy
piece of bread—mushy and unwanted.
“Monday,” he repeated. “Fresh coffee and warm sticky buns. I promise.” His
optimism was endearing. When he walked behind the counter, he entered a world
of warmth, sweetness and comfort. And it wasn’t because of the bakery.
When I exited, I stood just outside the door and looked back through the
window. He was surrounded by family—sisters, brothers, a mother and a father.
I’d wake up at 4 AM for the rest of my life if it meant those faces would greet me.
I tapped on the glass and tried to smile.
“Monday,” I whispered. “Monday.”
“Its not healthy to miss something that’s never coming back. All you end up doing is hating your reality.”
I am no expert but I do read a lot.  At the end of the day I am just a fangirl like all the rest but one thing I know for sure is that this story is not only touching but is also AMAZINGLY written.  The thoughts and feelings expressed in this book blew me away and to know that this is Melissa’s first book makes the read that more enjoyable.  Melissa’s talent pours off the pages.  Well-crafted sentences transport you back to high school taking you back to those emotional moments from days pasted.  No matter if you were to jock, nerd, cheerleader, or even the loner we all dealt with issues in high school.  Never trust the face people show on the outside because inside they hide their deepest fears and insecurity.  People are all driven by the need to feel wanted and loved and when there is a lack of that love the feeling of lost takes over.
“I…watched the drain swallow–swallow every problem, pain, worry and fear, but they won’t fit. I could still see them. All of them. Puddling at my feet.”
Here are the facts…I am at a loss for words to describe this book and you MUST add Seeds of Hate to your TBR list.  Javi, Selah, Izzy, and Nate are screaming to be found in a sea of high school angst.  These angsts filled moments create a story that anyone can relate to and before you know you will have finished this book in one sitting.  Go and one click now!  Yes right now.  I am waiting, not so patently, for book two in the Cardboard Heart series.  Melissa Perea has proven that you can knock it out of the park on your first try!
 “I let go.” I said. And as I held her, I let it all go again. Except this time, it was better”
I get very cranky when I am tired. If getting fat wasn’t a side effect, I would eat freshly baked cookies and milk every day for breakfast. Currently, I have one kid, one husband and one dog. I plan to add more to the kids and possibly the dogs, but definitely am keeping the husband to one. If for some random reason you stumbled upon my high school yearbook you would find a picture of me under “Class Clown”. I have a college degree, but instead of earning dollar bills with my educated mind, I spend my days playing with my offspring. My life is super fun.

I write because I want to share my heart with you and make you think more about the world around you.

@melissaperea

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