Wednesday, October 30, 2013

It's Just Love



Matchmakers sometimes need a little help with their own love lives. Coral Nixie is living her dream. Her cottage is blocks from her beloved beach and a haven for those seeking answers for their relationship problems. And so what if her own love life is non-existent? Helping others and surfing should be enough for anyone, even a virgin, slightly lonely witch. Gage Middleton is a successful author and relationship counselor. His "factors" can indicate the success of any relationship, and he's about to propose to his own perfect match. Until Ms. Perfect dumps him and he has to go on TV and defend his theories against a ridiculous hippy witch with the most beautiful eyes he's ever seen. On a dare from the host, the two set out to follow another couple on their first three dates. Gage and Coral have nothing in common—and neither do the man and woman they follow—but they hadn't counted on their own attraction to each other. Can they let go of their stubborn beliefs and accept that there's nothing to prove? It's Just Love.










Excerpt

Coral woke early, despite the fact that Gage had stayed into the wee hours. He’d been happy to discuss his work, but reticent about his girlfriend. Perhaps the perfect 10 was displeased about their spending these three evenings together. Coral would be happy to reassure her that she had no designs on him. A stuffed shirt like him did not enter her sights. Of course not.
She recalled her decision to consider dating again. Sid was dead, but she was alive. And he’d never want her to live sad and lonely. He had been a kind, considerate guy, finding joy in so many small things. Nothing had taken that from him, even toward the end, when he became a frail shell of his former, robust self. Shame filled her. She’d promised to move on, sworn it as she sat by his deathbed. And she’d broken that vow, or at least neglected it, for three years.
Well, no more. She would begin dating immediately. She’d find someone…somewhere. There sure as heck was nobody in her life now. Filled with purpose, she eschewed surfing for the day and prepared for a small ritual. Time to close one door, so another could be opened. The Goddess could not give her anyone new as long as she clung to the past. And three years was long enough to grieve for someone who had not even been a lover. He’d wanted that, but she hadn’t been sure, and by the time she realized how much he meant to her, his health was so poor she’d only been able to give him her time and care, nothing more.
She closed the curtains, swept the living room, and feather-dusted, wanting a clear space. Then she showered and patted herself dry, leaving her hair hanging down her back, and returned to the living room. Lighting a single, white taper, she sat cross-legged on the floor. White for the Goddess, white for purity. Staring at it, she stood and lit a green one, for change. Once upon a time she would have done more preparation, but truly what occurred was inside herself, and the rest were trappings for onlookers.
The Goddess would understand. Staring at the twin flames, Coral went deep inside and made a wish and a promise. This time, a gift would not be rejected. “Whoever you bring me, Lady, I will not waste the time. I know now how precious and rare true love is.”
When the candles burned down and winked out, she was filled with peace. Perhaps it would be a surfer, or maybe one who practiced the craft…or maybe an accountant. But she trusted that it would be the right one for her, if indeed such a person existed. A flicker of doubt passed through her. If she hadn’t missed her chance.
And looking for the right man would distract her from the wrong one she would be spending the evening with. Gage Middleton, handsome and charming…and even gallant, but he was not for her. The attraction was merely bad timing, or maybe it served to wake her up to her need to move forward.


Kate Richards divides her time between Los Angeles and the High Sierras. She would gladly spend all her days in the mountains, but she’d miss the beach…and her very supportive husband’s commute would be three hundred miles. Wherever she is, she loves to explore all different kinds of relationships in her stories. She doesn’t believe one-size-fits-all, and whether her characters live BDSM, ménage, GLBT or any other kind of lifestyle, it’s the love, the joy I one another, that counts.
Links:  Beachwalk Amazon Facebook Fan Page Goodreads Twitter








  Tasty Book Tours

Come Undone (Rock Hard #1)

Come Undone (Rock Hard, #1) 
 3 of 5 stars false 1/2
On stage he’s dynamite. Off stage he rocks her world.
When red-hot, Goth-metal band, Black Halo, split live on stage, fate throws Daniella Fosbrook into the path of sexy vocalist Xane Geist. Initially, Xane’s only looking for a ride home, but Dani tempts him in a way a thousand other women haven’t. Determined to explore their heady chemistry and avoid hashing things out with the band, Xane whisks Dani off to Monaco for a steamy weekend.
There, Dani tries her best to hang onto her heart and some clothing, while Xane soon loses both. However, Xane isn’t being entirely honest about the reason for the band’s demise. When the truth comes out, can Dani accept the facts, or will everything come undone.

Review

**** HarperCollins UK, Avon, through NetGalley gave me a copy of this book for my honest review****
  I had such a love/hate relationship with Come Undone and it's characters. It was not a typical rockstar romance and the refreshing take was a nice twist but the things that held it apart are also the things that made me want to throw my Nook. There was no fairytale, other than maybe in the beginning when Dani met her rock idol. Beyond that it's issues and mixed emotions, and a hell of a CLIFFHANGER!
Daniella it took me a while to connect with. I don't think we really got a good feel for her character in the very beginning, she was always just whoever someone needed her to be, the best friend, the distraction, never showing her true colors. When you did, you really started to get a feel for how much she really went through, and it made the second half of the story much more enjoyable. Xane was an interesting character. When we first met him he just came across as melodramatic. While being everyone's punching bag as far as the band went, he finally decides to stand up for himself and in turn splits up the band during a concert. Then, instead of dealing he runs away with a fan who seeks healing through his lyrics. I actually ended up enjoying Xane even if he had a flare for the dramatic. His struggle was vastly different than Dani's but just as prevalent. Sexually this book was very intense and hot. Xane's bisexuality was a glorious surprise, as well as his tendency for public sex. It's a promising start, so I'll hang on till the next book. 

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My Favorite Mistake (My Favorite Mistake #1)

My Favorite Mistake (My Favorite Mistake, #1) 
 3 of 5 stars false 
Two secrets. One bet. Who will break first?
Taylor Caldwell can't decide if she wants to kiss her new college roommate or punch him.
On the one hand, Hunter Zaccadelli is a handsome blue-eyed bundle of charm. On the other, he's a tattooed, guitar-playing bad boy. Maybe that's why Taylor's afraid of falling in love with him, or anyone else. She doesn't want to get burned, so she needs him gone before it's too late.
Hunter himself has been burned before, but Taylor's sexy laugh and refusal to let him get away with anything make her irresistible. Determined not to be kicked out of her life without a fight, Hunter proposes a bet: if she can convince him she either truly loves or hates him, he'll leave the apartment;and leave her alone.
But when the man behind Taylor's fear of giving up her heart resurfaces, she has to decide: trust Hunter with her greatest secret, or do everything in her power to win that bet and drive him away forever.

 Review

****Harlequin through NetGalley gave me a copy of this book for my honest review****
My Favorite Mistake was a very traditional New Adult. Maybe I've become jaded or I've just read so many books that I tend to be critical at times, but this one just didn't connect with me. The premise of the whole story felt weak and unrealistic, but while I could look past that if the characters were amazing and things progressed along nicely, it didn't happen. Taylor was supposed to be this tough girl but all she came across as was snippy and selfish, there was nothing allowing me to connect with her. I kept reading page after page hoping for a redeeming factor or a thread that allowed me to connect with her but it never came. Hunter was an alright character, he was sweet but again stereotypical and cheesy, IMO. There was nothing bad boy about him for me. Yeah he had tattoos, but they were all super small and I don't know, being a tattoo fan just, unimpressive. The ideas behind them were a little cheesy as well. And maybe I missed something but while wearing all these symbols of good luck and everyone saying he was born under a lucky star, he just didn't seem to have the best luck. Maybe I'm being cynical, it's a possibility. The side characters didn't interest me, they weren't bad but just blah. The writing itself wasn't bad,just progressed very slowly.
I see a lot of positive reviews so I hope readers try it for themselves, a lot of people seemed to enjoy it, just not for this reader. I really wanted to love this book, and I tried, but unfortunately I'm going to have to give it 3 stars. 

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The Darkest Part


Pressing the boundaries of both the psyche and the heart, Sam and Holden embark on a dangerous journey that will test the limits of love.

Sam Wintry’s life used to be almost perfect. She was engaged to her childhood best friend and high school sweetheart, Tyler Marks, planning an amazing cross-country honeymoon during her college break. But after a hit-and-run leaves her in ruin, she begins seeing Tyler’s fractured, ghostly presence, and her family believes she’s losing her mind. Not until she completes their journey, stopping along the way to scatter Tyler's remains, will Tyler be able cross over. Only...is Sam ready for him to leave her?

When the black sheep of the Marks' family, Holden Marks, returns to check on Tyler's case, Sam convinces him to give her his brother's ashes. Despite their shaky history, she needs him...plus, he owes it to Sam and his brother. What she doesn’t count on is Holden’s relentlessness to go on the trip.

On the road, Holden realizes just how unhinged Sam has become. Dealing with her psychosis forces him to confront his dark past, making it harder to keep secrets hidden that should remain buried. Especially from Sam, the only woman he’s ever loved. And as Sam starts to unravel the truth, she begins to question if the brother she's unwillingly falling for again is in an even darker place than her.

New Adult Contemporary coming this year.

What readers are saying about THE DARKEST PART...

"This is a great story that captures every element bringing it to a full circle of knowledge and love. A worthy read that is unique and entertaining, The Darkest Part is great." - Savannah @ BooksWithBite

"The Darkest Part is not your typical NA. It’s a powerful mentally and emotional story about true love and finding your way out of the darkness. Something that only a talented writer can pull off." - Nereyda @ Mostly YA Book Obsessed

"The Darkest Part is emotional, raw, dark, and passionate, and I felt each of those emotions with Sam and Holden through the entire novel." - Ellen @ Always YA At Heart





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