Uncategorized

SIGNED GIVEAWAY — BLACK BOX by Cassia Leo

March 1, 2014 by Aestas · 219 Comments

**Backdated to bump off main page now that over.

Here’s a chance to win one of two copies of Black Box by Cassia Leo!!

I read this awesome book a few days ago and loved it! I’m always on the hunt for books that stand out and that are unlike any others I’ve read and this was one of those! It was unique, captivating and I didn’t want to put it down. If you’re looking for a new standalone romance, I’d definitely recommend trying this one!

Here’s some info on the book (which is currently on sale for $0.99) to check out and then be sure to scroll down and enter the Rafflecopter for your chance to win a signed copy too!! 😀

❤ BLACK BOX ❤

Standalone New Adult Contemporary Romance

Three fateful encounters…
Two heart-breaking tragedies…
One last chance to get it right.

Over the course of five years, Mikki and Crush cross paths on three separate occasions. Their first encounter changes Mikki’s life forever, but their second meeting leaves them both buried beneath the emotional wreckage of a violent attack. Mikki is left with more questions and grief than she can handle, while Crush is forced to forget the girl who saved his life.

Now nineteen years old, Mikki Gladstone is tired of the mind-numbing meds. She books a flight to Los Angeles to end her life far away from her loving, though often distant, family.

Twenty-one-year-old Crush has always channeled his blackest thoughts into his music, but he’s never had great aspirations. He decides to fly to Los Angeles to record a demo of the only song he’s never performed in public; a song he wrote for a girl he doesn’t even know: Black Box. He has no expectations of fame and he’s never felt like his life had any purpose… until he meets Mikki in Terminal B.

When Mikki and Crush cross paths for the third time in Terminal B, neither has any idea who the other person is; until they slowly piece together their history and realize that fate has more in store for them than just another love story.

Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

❤ SIGNED GIVEAWAY ❤

Open Internationally.
Void where prohibited by law. Must be over 18 to enter.
2 winners will a signed copy of Black Box.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SIGNED GIVEAWAY & TEASER — FOUR SECONDS TO LOSE by K.A. Tucker

February 28, 2014 by Aestas · 103 Comments

*** Backdated now that giveaway is over!

To celebrate the paperback release of Four Seconds To Lose on April 1st, I have a series feature, excerpt and signed giveaway here for you today!! I’ve loved each book in this series so far starting back with the first one, Ten Tiny Breaths. I’ve linked all the info on the book and series below and then don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of the post to enter the signed giveaway!! It’s open internationally so everyone can enter!! Good luck! 🙂

❤ SERIES READING ORDER ❤

Each book in the series is about a different couple and can be read as a standalone but I recommend reading them in order because they are interconnected.

❤ ABOUT FOUR SECONDS TO LOSE ❤

Owning a strip club isn’t the fantasy most guys expect it to be. With long hours, a staff with enough issues to keep a psych ward in business, and the police regularly on his case, twenty-nine year old Cain is starting to second guess his unspoken mission to save the women he employs. And then blond, brown-eyed Charlie Rourke walks through his door, and things get really complicated. Cain abides by a strict “no sleeping with the staff” rule. But being around Charlie challenges Cain’s self-control…and it’s been a long time since any woman has done that.

Twenty-two-year old Charlie Rourke needs a lot of money, really fast, in order to vanish before it’s too late. Taking her clothes off for men makes her stomach curl but Charlie tells herself that at least she’s putting her acting and dancing skills to good use. And though her fellow dancers seem eager to nab their sexy, sophisticated, and genuinely caring boss, she’s not interested. After all, Charlie Rourke doesn’t really exist—and the girl pretending to be her doesn’t need to complicate her life with romance.

Unfortunately, Charlie soon discovers that developing feelings for Cain is inevitable, that those feelings may not be unrequited—but losing him when he finds out what she’s involved with will be more painful than any other sentence awaiting her.

EXCERPT from FOUR SECONDS TO LOSE

Charlie’s POV

“Little mouse, you’re perfect for this job,” he says with a large hand squeezing my shoulder. “No one will suspect you.”

“Are you sure?”

His warm smile speaks his promise. “Of course. We make the perfect team, you and I.”

“I miss you.”

“I miss you too.”

“Things are good? You’re enjoying Miami?”

I pick at a loose thread on my bedding. It’s early, it’s sunny, and I barely slept last night. I have yet to decide if I’m more worried about the act of pole-dancing topless on a stage in twelve hours or what will happen if I’m not any good at it.

I need this job. Sin City gave me a taste of what straight-out prostitution would be like and I can’t bring myself to do it. So, this is it. And working at Penny’s feels as right as it possibly could, under the circumstances.

“Yeah. Things are great.” I keep my voice airy. Non-suspicious. Right now, I have his trust. I need to keep that.

“Spending a lot of time on the beach?”

“Yup. That and the gym.”

“Good. I’m glad you’re enjoying life. Any theater groups down there for you to join?”

“Yeah, maybe.” Theater group . . . doesn’t quite live up to Tisch School of the Arts, where I was supposed to be enrolled this fall. After what happened, my stepdad made me defer for a year and shipped me off to Miami to “be safe.”

The reality is I’ll never get to go, and that burns me with disappointment. “Good, good.” There’s a long pause. “Obviously, you’ve received the package.”

“Yup.” Like clockwork. Every Monday morning at nine o’clock a small parcel arrives at the extended-stay hotel where I’m supposed to be living. Kyle—the cute twenty-six-year-old security guy who has a thing for me—holds onto it in exchange for a coffee and a fifteen-minute flirt session.

Each package has a new phone with a new number. A new phone each week means no legal wiretaps, which means no incriminating evidence.

And Sam is all about no incriminating evidence.

Of course, my explanation to Kyle doesn’t involve burner phones or why I might need them. Instead, I fabricated a lovely modern fairy tale—that my mom likes to send me care packages each week but they have to continue arriving at that address or my father, whom I’m now staying with, will go into a blind rage.

I had a hard time getting that lie out with ease. If Kyle’s attention were on my face and not my breasts, he might have caught on. Mom can’t send me care packages because she died ten years ago, due to rare complications during childbirth, along with my unborn half-brother. It’s a sad story, really. As a high school dropout and mother by fifteen, Vegas stripper by eighteen, Jamie Miller was sure her luck had turned when she caught the eye of the much older, wealthy New York businessman Sam Arnoni.

Or, as some know him, Big Sam.

I was six when they got married—after a whirlwind three-month affair. We moved out of our two-bedroom Vegas apartment and into his sprawling Long Island house. The day we moved, my mom sat me down and told me to listen to Sam. That if I was a good little girl for him, he’d give us a good life.

I was eight when she died, leaving me alone with my stepdad. He’s all I’ve had ever since. In truth, he didn’t have to keep me. No one would have faulted him for hunting down my real father—who didn’t want me—and dropping me off on his doorstep. I mean, why burden yourself? But he didn’t. As long as I was an obedient little mouse, Sam told me that we’d be together.

So I was. And, in return, he gave me everything I could possibly ever want.

Knowing what I know now, I would have preferred my estranged father’s doorstep.

“Good. I’m glad to hear that. I’ll top up your account tomorrow.”

“Great.” As much as I’ve begun to detest taking money from him, the more money he sends, the faster I can save.

The sooner my plan can come to fruition.

The sooner I can run from him.

“Well, I’ve got to get back to work.” Conversations with Sam never last more than a few minutes anymore. He’s a busy guy. “Check your email, will you?”

Those are the magic words. “Okay.” I know that my voice sounds strained and so I clear my throat to shake it loose. There’s no sounding doubtful with Sam. He needs to think that I’m fully onboard with this.

“Love you, little mouse.”

I swallow a painful knot. Maybe he does . . . in his own way. “Love you too.” No real names. No reference to Dad or Sam. That’s another rule, even with burner phones. Sam’s a paranoid guy. With good reason.

Closing my eyes as I hang up, I heave a deep breath. I knew it was coming. It’s been three weeks since the last one of these calls. With icy dread creeping through my body, I reach over and flip open my laptop.

Logging in to the Gmail account—the one I share with Sam—I click on the drafts to find the unsent message. That’s how Sam gives me his directives. No transmitted emails means no intercepting them. I stare at the message, containing the name and address of a café off Ocean Drive, along with a meet-up time for me and Jimmy, a hotel name, and a picture of the buyers—“Bob” and “Eddie.”

My mouth instantly dries as the wave of nausea hits me.

BUY for KINDLE | BUY in PAPERBACK

❤ SIGNED GIVEAWAY ❤

Open Internationally. Void where prohibited by law. Must be over 18 to enter. 1 winner will a signed copy of Four Seconds To Lose.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SIGNED GIVEAWAY — MAYBE SOMEDAY by Colleen Hoover

February 27, 2014 by Aestas · 582 Comments

I am SO excited to bring you a giveaway of one of the best books I’ve ever read — Maybe Someday ♥

This book is the latest standalone novel from Colleen Hoover and will be released on March 18th. I was lucky enough to read an early copy of it and it absolutely blew me away. It was fresh, unique, and entirely unpredictable. I felt fully connected to each of the characters from the first page to the last. This book was perfect — truly perfect — and is an absolute must read for everyone!!!

Music also plays a huge role in the lives of the characters in this novel and, as an added bonus, there are a series of songs that were written for and incorporated into the book performed by Griffin Peterson.

Today’s giveaway was generously donated by Colleen and includes a signed copy of Maybe Someday and also a signed CD as well!! So, here’s a little info on the book and then the Rafflecopter is all linked up at the bottom of the post….

Good luck everyone!! 😉

❤ MAYBE SOMEDAY ❤

Standalone New Adult Contemporary Romance. Release date: March 18, 2014.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance.

At twenty-two years old, Sydney has a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter’s cheating on her—and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by Ridge, her mysterious neighbor. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to his playing his guitar every day out on his balcony. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one…

From the author of the New York Times bestsellers Slammed, Point of Retreat, Hopeless, This Girl, and Losing Hope, Maybe Someday is destined to be another bestseller and long-lasting fan favorite.

Preorder for Kindle | Preorder in Paperback | Read my Review

Also, if you want to listen to the music performed by Griffin Peterson that accompanies this book, you can order it at the following places:

iTunes (Full CD) | iTunes (Single) | Signed CD

❤ SIGNED GIVEAWAY ❤

Open Internationally.
Void where prohibited by law. Must be over 18 to enter.
1 winner will a signed copy of Maybe Someday & a signed CD.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review — FUELED (The Driven Trilogy #2) by K. Bromberg

February 25, 2014 by Aestas · 2 Comments

“We’re not broken baby… we’re just bent. And bent’s okay. Bent means that we’re just figuring things out.”

I absolutely LOVED this book!!!! I was invested in the story from start to finish. My heart was racing, breaking, melting… I was feeling everything!!! I love Colton. I love Rylee. I love this series. I’m hooked and I can’t wait for more!!!

This book captured my heart from the very first page and I was so impressed with the direction that the storyline went in. Honestly, after the huge cliffhanger that the last book left off, I was a little wary because it opened up the potential for the characters to go down a very frustrating path but they basically just turned it right around in a way that made me have so much respect for them both.

Mistakes were made and there was a lot of heartache but throughout it all, you could always feel how strongly they felt for each other and how badly they were trying to make things work.

Even though though I really liked Driven, it was a bit of a bumpy road for me at first, but I was really blown away by Fueled. It was a very strong book. The story line was captivating and I did not want to put it down!

Please note that this is the second book in this trilogy and it directly continues the story from the first book. I’m not going to talk about the plot here but I’ll just say that this book starts off right where the last one ended but this time, we got to see that devastating scene from Colton’s perspective. We got a glimpse into the memories that were haunting him — “Memories so horrid he vomits with the reappearance of them.” — and my God where they ever heart breaking.

Spiderman. Batman. Superman. Ironman.

I love love love Colton, but before I talk about him, I want to take a minute to focus on Rylee because she’s honestly now one of my favorite book heroines. She was both kind hearted, deeply understanding and incredibly selfless while still remaining a strong woman who wasn’t going to be pushed around by anyone. She set her boundaries and held to them. I totally would want to be friends with her. I loved the way she thought and just generally really respected the decisions she made.

“You know you can talk to me… I won’t judge or try to fix you, but sometimes just getting it out, getting rid of the hate or shame or whatever is eating you makes it a tad bit more bearable.”

Now… about Colton… this guy was a book hero after my own heart. A gorgeous, tortured Alpha bad boy race car driver with a dark past, a reckless side to him, and also a huge heart who was falling in love for the first time in his life. GAHHH!! I LOVED HIM!!! His back story just tore me up and I could see how strong the demons he was fighting were. My heart really went out to him.

“If you look past the gorgeously rough exterior… there’s a scared little boy inside that’s afraid of love… he’s afraid to love someone because he knows that they’ll leave…”

The chemistry between Colton and Rylee was just off-the-charts HOT and their connection was so intense. I swear I spent a good portion of this book just sitting there fanning myself…

“Anticipation… Tonight, Rylee, I want you thinking about me all night long. More specifically everything I plan on doing to you later when I have you alone… Where my tongue is going to lick. Where my fingers are going to grip. Where my mouth is going to taste. Where my cock is going to stroke. How my body is going to worship every incredible inch of yours.”

But while sex scenes were scorching but my favorite part was honestly seeing them open up to each other. Their relationship wasn’t always on a smooth path but they both were trying. They went through lot of ups and downs but everything that happened really made sense for the story — I even found the times when there were miscommunication bearable because I felt like I could understand where they were both coming from at all times. I can’t tell you how important this element is to me as a reader. It’s the number one thing I look for in a story and even though it sometimes broke my heart, I really enjoyed the journey.

“I know we’ve made a mess of this, Ry, but we can figure this out… We can get us right.”

Ohhh and one more gorgeous side to the story was Colton and the kids that Rylee worked with. There’s something unbelievably endearing about a bad boy who is amazing with children but when you add in the fact that that bad boy could also identify with the traumatic pasts that these kids had, it just was emotional overload for me. These scenes brought tears to my eyes more than once.

“Any guy that makes you cry isn’t worth it.”
“Maybe if he makes me cry it’s because he IS worth it.”

All in all, I really felt this whole story — I felt the pain, the love, the heart break, and the healing. The last quarter of the book was intense. Suuuuuper intense. There was a lot of drama and yes, the ending was a big cliffhanger. But interestingly, this one didn’t bother me too much because it wasn’t a relationship cliffhanger. So, even though I’m dying to read the next book and find out what happens next, I’m also ok and really loved the way the whole ending of this book came together.

“Time stands still and it feels like we’re the only two people in the world. Just a damaged boy and a selfless girl.”

Overall, I was so impressed with this book. It kept me connected to the characters the whole way through and I was glued to the page from start to finish. I highly recommend checking this series out! It’s fun, addictive, heart felt, emotional… it’s got it all!! And best of all — it has Colton Donavan 😉

I want her to own me.
Every fucking piece of me.
Game over baby.
She’s my motherfucking checkered flag.

Rating: 4.5+ stars

*** SERIES READING ORDER ***

Book #1 — DRIVEN
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

Book #2 — FUELED
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

Book #3 — CRASHED
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

SIGNED GIVEAWAY — ARCHER’S VOICE by Mia Sheridan

February 23, 2014 by Aestas · 331 Comments

I have a super awesome signed giveaway for you guys today of a book I loved — Archer’s Voice!!

This book was one of the most heartwarming and uniquely beautiful stories I have ever read. It was a gorgeous tale of survival and the healing power of love. I strongly encourage everyone to read it!! Mia Sheridan’s ability to convey strong emotions and vivid imagery through her writing is absolutely captivating! I can’t recommend this book highly enough!!

The author has generously offered to give 2 winners signed copies here. The giveaway is open internationally too so everyone can enter. All you have to do is scroll down to the bottom of the post and enter in the Rafflecopter for your chance to win….

Good luck!! 😀

❤ ARCHER’S VOICE ❤

Standalone Adult romance.

When Bree Prescott arrives in the sleepy, lakeside town of Pelion, Maine, she hopes against hope that this is the place where she will finally find the peace she so desperately seeks. On her first day there, her life collides with Archer Hale, an isolated man who holds a secret agony of his own. A man no one else sees.

Archer’s Voice is the story of a woman chained to the memory of one horrifying night and the man whose love is the key to her freedom. It is the story of a silent man who lives with an excruciating wound and the woman who helps him find his voice. It is the story of suffering, fate, and the transformative power of love.

Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

…

Book Review — DRIVEN (The Driven Trilogy #1) by K. Bromberg

February 20, 2014 by Aestas · 9 Comments

“I bet he fucks like he drives — a little reckless, pushing all the limits, and in it until the very last lap.”

Well, I’m officially in love with Colton Donavan and hooked on this series!

I’d been looking forward to starting this series for quite a while now. Honestly, I’d loved the sound it from the day I first heard about it but, because of the cliffhangers, I was waiting to be able to read them all at once. Now that I’ve started it though, I totally get why so many readers are obsessed with these books!

The story followed Colton and Rylee. Rylee was a strong woman who had control over life and who dedicated her time towards working for a wonderful cause helping children in need. Colton was a reckless bad boy — a famous race car driver known for his skills both on the track and in the bedroom. They were polar opposites in so many ways and what she needed was something he couldn’t give.

“Let’s face it, you’re not a spend the night kind of guy, and I’m not a one-night stand kind of girl.”

And yet, they kept being drawn back to each other… 🙂

I loved Rylee right from the start. She was a feisty, unintimidated and kind hearted. My first impression of Colton though was more of an arrogant, cocky manwhore… in Rylee’s words, an “egotistical asshole”. But I liked him! There was just something about him that hinted that there was much more to him than met the eye. Plus, he was just hot as hell!!

“I may be a man, but I’m nowhere near gentle. In fact, I think you’re a little curious just how I like it. Step over the edge with me, Ryles…I’ll be anything and everything but gentle.”

As Rylee soon found out, there was a lot more to him. Behind the bad boy that the world saw was deep rooted pain from a very dark past that he didn’t want to talk about. I really felt drawn to his character. What can I say, I’m a total sucker for the tortured bad boys. They get to me every time.

“The man is captivating in every way and the epitome of sexy. From that boyish grin that disarms me in seconds to his sexy swagger… He exudes virility, evokes desire, and commends attention… He’s edgy and reckless and you want to go along for the ride hoping to get a glimpse of his tender side that breaks through every now and again. The bad boy with a touch of vulnerability who leaves you breathless and steals your heart.”

Colton was dominant and possessive. He knew what he wanted and was determined to get it no matter what. But he kept his heart locked away. He was used to purely physical relationships with women, and was simply not ready to commit to anything more.

“I assure you, romance is not something I actively subscribe to. There’s no such thing as happily ever after.”

What I loved was that Rylee brought out a new side of him he’d never allowed to show through before — she meant more to him than anyone had before and that scared him. I loved the two sides of him — on one hand he was cocky and arrogant, but he also had a deeply caring side. It was the side of him he hid from the world that drew me to him. I could feel how much he wanted “more” and it broke my heart that he didn’t think he could ever have it.

“I know all about baggage, sweetheart. I have enough of it to fill up a 747 and then some… My shit can’t be fixed. I’ve been broken for way too long for that miracle to happen.”

And I just want to share this line here because this was the moment that fully sold me on the series…

“I’m seeing the true Colton Donavan – the unmasked version with a vulnerability that makes me want to reach over and take the hurt that often flickers through those green eyes and make it better. To show him that love and commitment are possible without complications. That it is real and pure and much more powerful than ever imagined when it is built and shared between two people.”

Another part of the story I loved was that, as I mentioned, Rylee worked for an organization whose goal was to help orphaned children and she did these shifts at The House which was where many of them lived. On it’s own, this part of the story was deeply emotional but guys, seeing Colton with these kids was just… WOW. My heart melted — it was just so beautiful and moving!!!

I’m not going to lie though — this book was a bit of a rough start for me for several reasons. But everyone kept telling me to hang in there because it got better and they were right!! It did get better and I’m so glad I stuck with it because now I’m hooked on this series!!

Ok – now there’s something which I kind of have to mention here… *twists lips* … ok — I’m just going to say it: this book has several strong similarities to both Fifty Shades and Crossfire. I’m not going to list them because I’m not one to nit pick but you’ll notice when you read it if, like me, you’re a fan of those two series. But, here’s the thing… take as a whole, the story is not the same and so, even though those elements made me a little uncomfortable while I was reading, my advice is to just overlook them. That’s what I did.

I’d say that overall, my enjoyment of this book was a steady upward climb. There were a few stumbles along the way, a few cases of deja vu, but all in all, it got better and better as it went and now…

I’m hooked, intrigued, and I want more!! Colton is very much the type of hero I most easily fall for — tortured, mysterious, and a little bit dangerous, but protective, dominant and kind hearted. Rylee is the kind of strong heroine who I can respect. Overall, I liked the pacing of the story, I enjoyed watching Rylee and Colton try to figure out their relationship and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

I would absolutely recommend this book, but my advice is to be patient with it in the beginning. I’m glad I started it, really glad I stuck with it, and am now ready to dive straight into the next book.

This is a hard book for me to rate because there were 3.5 star sections and 4.5 star sections for me so I’m going to round it off to 4 stars.

PS – there is a giant cliffhanger at the end and I am so freaking glad I waited to read these books back to back because if I had read this without having the next one, I would have been quite upset. But now that I have the next book ready to go, I’m just giddy with excitement to dive right into it 😀

*** SERIES READING ORDER ***

Book #1 — DRIVEN
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

Book #2 — FUELED
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

Book #3 — CRASHED
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback| Read my Review