Blog Tour: Review: Cider Brook by Carla Neggers

    

Cider Brook
(Book #3 in the Swift River Valley series)
Amazon | Goodreads | BN
Author: Carla Neggers
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA (January 28, 2014)
Genre:  Contemporary Romance 384 pages
ISBN-10: 0778315886
ISBN-13: 978-0778315889
My Copy: Paperback

SUMMARY:

Being rescued by a good-looking, bad-boy firefighter isn't how Samantha Bennett expected to start her stay in Knights Bridge, Massachusetts. Now she has everyone's attention—especially that of Justin Sloan, her rescuer, who wants to know why she was camped out in an abandoned old New England cider mill. 

Samantha is a treasure hunter who has returned to Knights Bridge to solve a 300-year-old mystery and salvage her good name. Justin remembers her well. He's the one who alerted her late mentor to her iffy past and got her fired. But just because he doesn't trust her doesn't mean he can resist her. Samantha is daring, determined, seized by wanderlust—everything that strong, stoic Justin never knew he wanted. Until now…

MY REVIEW:

Sam Bennett: Pirate hunter. I honestly don't know what to think about this one. I'd like to say that it's because this is the third book in the Swift River Valley series, and I haven't read books one and two, but I don't think that's the case. Despite the fact that this is my first book by Carla Neggers and not having read the previous books for this series, I didn't find myself lost at all. So, having said that, yes, you can read this series out of order. Heh. I sure did. 

The characters in this book are definitely likeable. Especially the Sloans. I mean, that name, who wouldn't love them? hehe. Justin Sloan: Carpenter, volunteer firefighter and brother to many! lol. Justin's character is extremely straight forward. Keeps this on the straight and narrow. Cuts to the chase, you would say. So when it comes to Sam Bennett, being straight with her and her being not so forthcoming is definitely something to read. I'm not a big fan of this book because the pace was extremely slow and not as action packed as I hoped it would be, but Justin's character definitely made up for it. When he was mentioned, he was MENTIONED! His character takes up the whole page. His bluntness kept things interesting, as Sam wasn't too forthcoming. Which brings me to Sam, I wasn't a big fan of her character, but she was likeable. A bit dull but likeable. 

The story as a whole was good. It wasn't great but it wasn't bad either. Although it was really slow for me, I found it enjoyable. Well written and the character didn't push me to the edge of wanting to just throw the book on the floor and pick up another. Okay, maybe not that far, cause I'd never abuse a book like that but you got my drift, right? Cider Brook is a quaint little town with all of it's citizens knowing one another. Everyone knows who you are, what you're doing, who you're with and what you ate for lunch. With that much knowledge floating around I expected a bunch more drama, which I didn't get. Not even more action with the pirate hunting, which was a bit of a let down. But the characters definitely made up for that and this slow paced beaut kept me interested long enough to finish the book. 

Overall, I thought this book was okay. I was expecting a lot of treasure hunting goodness with action and drama but I got quite the opposite. That's not to say that the book wasn't good, it was good. Definitely a nice read for a relaxing day.

MY RATING:

 

     

Blog Tour: Review: Bare It All by Lori Foster

Review

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review*

Bare It All
(Book #2 in the Love Undercover series)
Amazon | Goodreads | BN
Author: Lori Foster
Publisher: Harlequin HQN (April 30, 2013)
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult, 480 pages
ISBN-10: 0373777612
ISBN-13: 978-0373777617
My Copy: Paperback

SUMMARY:

"A cop's craving to know more about the woman next door could prove fatal in the steamy new novel from New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster"

As the person responsible for taking down a brutal human trafficker, Alice Appleton fears retaliation at every turn. No one knows about her past, which is exactly how she prefers it...until the sexy cop next door comes knocking.

Detective Reese Bareden thinks he knows what makes women tick, but his ever-elusive neighbor keeps him guessing like no other. Is his goal to unmask Alice's secrets? Or protect her from a dangerous new threat? One thing is certain: their chemistry is a time bomb waiting to explode. And with no one to trust but each other, Reese and Alice are soon drawn into a deadly maze of corruption, intrigue and desire-and into the line of fire....

MY REVIEW:

After being kidnapped and held captive for over a year, Alice Appleton takes "safe" to a whole new level. With numerous weapons on her person and scattered around her house, she doesn't take things too likely. But who would, after being what she's been through? After a showdown in her neighbor's, Detective Reese "Bare It All" Bareden, apartment, that ends in a bloody mess (Book #1 in the Love Undercover series) Alice lets Reese crash in her apartment until Reese gets the okay to go ahead and move back into his place.

Intrigued with the little, prim and proper Alice Appleton, Reese makes it his mission to make sure she's okay and to get answers out of her, even if that means seducing her a bit to get his answers. Reese knows that Alice is hiding something, and he's being very patient with her and willing to wait for her to spill her past.

After reading the first book in this series, I was definitely excited to read the Bare It All and jump into the world of BARE IT ALL BAREDEN! What I liked about this book is that the roles were somewhat reversed. Usually in books, you have the heroine saying things like "eyes up here" instead of the guys looking at her breasts. But in this book, Reese kept having to tell Alice to look up, instead of at his chest...or even lower (; The characters were all believable and kept me turning the page to see what would happen next.

What I didn't like, was that the book kind of dragged. Don't get me wrong, the story line was awesome and I was definitely intrigued from beginning to end, but I felt that it lagged. Very slow, but I don't mind that all that much, because I got more page time with Reese and Alice, and not to mention everyone's (well, my favorite) bad boy Rowdy Yates. Aside from the dragged story line, I thought everything was pretty much believable and ran smoothly.

I would definitely recommend this book. Although this is the second book in the series, I believe you can read them out of order. Lori Foster does a great job of covering the basics from the first book and it doesn't at all tie into what happens in the second book. The characters are all there, but I'm sure you'll catch on quickly. If you love yourself a great contemporary romance novel with a little bit of suspense thrown in, I would definitely recommend Bare It All. 

MY RATING:

Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a Waldenbooks, Borders, USA TODAY, Publishers Weekly and New York Times bestselling author. She also received the Romantic Times “Career Achievement Award” for Series Romantic Fantasy and Contemporary Romance.

Lori believes it is important to give back to the community as much as possible, so she routinely arranges events among authors and readers to gather donations for various organizations.

Goodreads | Facebook | Website

Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway: The Marine Cowboy by Heather Long

Review + Giveaway

Thanks for stopping by! This tour is brought to you FMB Promotions

Check out the other blogs participating in this tour HERE

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review*

The Marine Cowboy
(Book #7 in the Always a Marine series)
Amazon | BN | ARe | Bookstrand | Decadent Publishing | Diesel | iBooks | Kobo
Author: Heather Long
Publisher: Decadent Publishing (December 26, 2012)
Genre: Erotica, Western Romance, Contemporary Romance, Military Romance, 44pages
ASIN: B00ATHX1GO
My Copy: eBook

SUMMARY:

Turning down a billet at Mike’s Place in Dallas, Sergeant A.J. Turner left Iraq for Freewill, Wyoming with one goal in mind—to forget the last five years. Trading his MARPATS for jeans and his cover for a cowboy hat, he plans to work his ranch and pray the green grass, tall trees, and sweet mountains can wash away the taste of the desert.

The last thing he expected was a reminder of a promise made to his buddies: one night to help them all start again.

Sheri Vaughn quit her corporate job, sold her house and moved to Freewill on a whim. Six months after her divorce, she’s hardly ready to put her toe in the dating waters again. One bottle of wine later, however, she signs up for Madame Eve’s exclusive 1Night Stand service and lists a very particular set of qualities she wants in a man; he must be honorable, courageous, forthright, single, have served as Marine, but be a cowboy at heart. If she wants to dream, at least she can dream big.

But when local hero A.J. Turner arrives home, Madame Eve comes through, and Sheri has to find the courage to make her dream a reality…

Can one night, even a night arranged by Madame Eve, fulfill both a promise and a dream?

MY REVIEW:

Ahh. I already have problems with shorts. I feel that they aren't long enough to grasp my attention, to really pull me in and have me hang on to every single word. I did finish this in one sitting, but it was only 44 pages.

You've got Sheri, who's fairly new to Freewill. Left her scumbag of a husband and decided to move to a small town and put in an application for a one night stand. When Sheri put in her application, she thought the standards that she listed were far too bazaar and out there. But, after moving to Freewill and hearing about A.J. Turner. She knew he was the one. And when he came home for good after a tour in Iraq, she wasn't surprised when she got an email from Madame Eve with the details of her one night stand.

I honestly felt that this book was just too short for me. I didn't connect with the characters, I didn't find it believable. I didn't really have an "ooh-ahh" moment. The romance is there, albeit I feel it's forced. Too short of a time span to really make that quick of a connection. But, then again, I'm not a big fan of insta-anything. Just too quick for me.

On one hand, if you're looking for a story, I wouldn't recommend this one. But, on the other hand, if you love shorts and you need that kick of erotica to get you through the night, then by all means, go ahead and pick this one up. It might be book 7 in the series, but I was not lost at all. It can be read as a stand-alone.

MY RATING:

ALSO BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ALWAYS A MARINE SERIES!

♥Once Her Man, Always Her Man

♥Retreat Hell! She Just Got Here

♥Tell It To The Marine

♥Proud To Serve Her

♥Her Marine

♥No Regrets, No Surrender

♥Merry Christams Marine

♥Semper Fi & Good Night

♥The Marine Cowboy

♥The Two and The Proud

♥A Marine and A Gentleman

♥Whisky Tango Foxtrot

♥Combat Barbie

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DECADENT PUBLISHING

For more information about Decadent Publishing authors, books, and their submissions guidelines, visit www.decadentpublishing.com. 

Decadent Publishing is current accepting submissions in all sub-genres of romance, including their ongoing series'.

Sign up for Decadent Publishing's Newsletter | Follow on Twitter | Like us on Facebook 

Heather Long lives in Texas with her family and their menagerie of animals. As a child, Heather skipped picture books and enjoyed the Harlequin romance novels by Penny Jordan and Nora Roberts that her grandmother read to her. Heather believes that laughter is as important to life as breathing and that the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus are very real. In the meanwhile, she is hard at work on her next novel.

Website  | Facebook | Twitter | Series Facebook

Review: Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson

Full Blooded
(Book #1 in the Jessica McClain series)
Amazon | Goodreads | BN
Author: Amanda Carlson
Publisher: Orbit (September 11, 2012)
Genre: Adult, Urban Fantasy 352 pages
ISBN-10: 0316205206
ISBN-13: 978-0316205207
My Copy: Paperback

SUMMARY:

Born the only female in an all male race, Jessica McClain isn’t just different—she’s feared.

After living under the radar for the last twenty-six years, Jessica is thrust unexpectedly into her first change, a full ten years late. She wakes up and finds she’s in the middle of a storm. Now that she’s become the only female full-blooded werewolf in town, the supernatural world is already clamoring to take a bite out of her and her new Pack must rise up and protect her.

But not everyone is on board. The werewolf Rights of Laws is missing text and the superstitious werewolves think that Jessica means an end to their race. It doesn’t help when Jessica begins to realize she’s more. She can change partway and hold her form, and speak directly to her wolf. But the biggest complication by far is that her alpha father can't control her like he can the rest of his wolves.

When a mercenary who’s been hired by the vampires shows up to extract information about the newly turned werewolf only days after her change, they find themselves smack in the middle of a war and there's no choice but to run together. When it’s up to Jessica to negotiate her release against her father’s direct orders, she chooses to take an offer for help instead. In exchange, Jessica must now swear an oath she may end up repaying with her life.

MY REVIEW:

Jessica McClain is the only born female in an all out male pack. Being the only female, she's looked down at, but because her father is the alpha of the pack, she's been hiding from the supe community, hiding her true identity to try and live a normal life. Well, as normal as any female werewolf can.

Jessica McClain never thought she'd make her first transition into her wolf form. After the age came and gone when she should have turned with her twin brother, she was chased out of the pack and she never looked back. And the night Jessica turned, her life was turned upside down. So upside down that even her enemy (longtime grudge holding enemy) happens upon the site of her transition, he is determined to bring her down and he wont stop at nothing. And not to mention a possible mate that just might be out to kill her.

I absolutely loved Full Blooded! Amanda Carlson brings you into the world of this all male pack and this world is just boiling with testosterone. Very sexy wolfy testosterone at that. And there's more then just wolfy goodness in this book, you get a few side characters with a bit of paranormal spunk to them as well. And I thought that those characters added more to the story. Though, it probably would have been just as awesome without them. But still, gotta love the suped up characters!

Jessica's character is badass and fierce and even if she's the only girl in an all male pack, she hold her own and she doesn't show any fear. To be surrounded by that many males. wheew. *wipes brow* one lucky girl. Aside from Jessica's fan-frkn-tastic character, the supporting characters were totes awesome as well. All big and manly. Oh, yeah. ;)

Protective: CHECK.
Alpha: CHECK.
EXTRA ALPHA: CHECK, CHECK.
EXTRA ALPHA WITH WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP: nom nom nom. Go away, I'm eating ;)

I would definitely recommend this book. If you're a lover of paranormal awesomeness and love yourself mighty alpha werewolves and strong heroines than Full Blooded is right up your alley. And all your lovers out there for romance, Amanda Carlson does not leave you hangin'. With all the kickassness going on, Carlson tosses in a mate with hungry eyes that leaves you panting and wanting more. I know I do ;)

MY RATING:

Blog Tour: Diggin' Deeper + Review: Vegas Knights by Marina Maddix

Diggin' Deeper + Review

Thanks for stopping by!

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review*

Vegas Knights(Book #1 in the Red Veil series)
Amazon | BN
Author: Marina Maddix
Publisher: Self Published (March 8, 2013)
Genre: Erotica, Adult, 179 pages
ASIN: B00BN1XN4K
My Copy: eBook

SUMMARY:

Vegas Knights is the much-anticipated novel-length sequel to Marina’s popular erotic/romantic short story Knight Fall. The books can be read on their own or in sequence.

After a passionate public encounter with a mysterious and very sexy biker, big girl Kelly Saunders finds herself on the ride of her life. Her 'Knight on shining armor' — Rick Knight, heir to a motorcycle legacy — whisks her away from her soul-sucking corporate job to Las Vegas, where she finds the road to love is treacherous.

As urgent business matters demand more and more of Rick’s attention, Kelly is left to wonder about the future of their relationship. A ruthless betrayal throws her life into turmoil, and a devastating discovery threatens to pull them apart. Is their love just so much Vegas glitter or is it strong enough to survive beyond the dazzling lights of Sin City?

MY REVIEW:

AHH! This is my first Marina Maddix novel and she can now count me as one of her fans. *fan girling* I absolutely loved Vegas Knights. Before I jump into this review, let me just say that I devoured Vegas Knights in one sitting. That's how good it was *wipes brow*  — Alrighty, moving on...

Kelly Saunders is a voluptuous artist (struggling, might I add) who finds herself leaving her life behind after a hot encounter with the oh-so-sexy-biker Rick Knight. Rick asks Kelly to go away with him to Vegas for 2 weeks after their little tryst in the back of a gas station (gag... I KNOW! but still hot in its own way...if it's a sexy biker of course), and of course she says yes! Duh, because what's she got to lose...right? YOLO? hahaha.

Once the budding couple makes their way to Vegas, Rick leaves Kelly to her own devices as he settles some stuff that have him stuck in meetings with lawyers til' no end! Kelly soon finds her feet in Vegas, stumbling upon a co-op group for striving artists and soon Kelly loses her self in her art, painting on canvas what her words can't express. Her growing feelings for Rick Knight. Those feelings she can't express to him because: 1- it's too soon and 2- he's never around! oh and 3-it's just supposed to be a little fling, for two little weeks...or so she thinks ;)

Whew. I'll admit, this book was pretty predictable but still damned good. Marina Maddix weaves the story of growing love with haters on the side just bidding their time to tear you down and push you away. I was kind of thrown off with the fast relationship between Kelly and Rick, but you can't help but to just swoon along with Kelly as Rick calls her beautiful and makes her feel loved and safe. There were a few background characters that I loved (even though they had a page or two).

"Hey, Assholes! Some of us have to get up early to go fry up some shit for the tourists tomorrow. Unless you want hash brown nuggets shoved so far up your ass they shoot out your nose, I'd suggest either shutting the fuck up or getting the fuck out."

-Candy

Oh, but Candy needs more page time. Candy is a minor character, but still kick ass and totally stands out in the few pages she was mentioned in.

Message for MMaddix: Beach Bum Reads is demanding more page time for Candy the PINK goth ;) Pretty please, with extra whipped cream on top ^_^

Soooo let's recap, shall we??

The Book: Was pretty good.
The Story: Predictable but still awesome
The Characters: Well developed and believable
The Sex: Vanilla but still hot. I mean...Rick Knight is planning on buying out Victoria Secret just to replace all the damaged panties RAAAWR ;)

I would definitely recommend this book. There is a prequel to this awesome book. I didn't read it and did just fine without having read it, but if you want the story (and the steamy sex) as to how Kelly and Rick met, then go ahead and get Knight Falls and read that one first ^_^

MY RATING:

Ana: Welcome to Beach Bum Reads! Thanks for stopping by!

MMaddix: Thank you so much for having me, Ana! It’s fun to chat with another California girl.

Ana: Woot woot ;) Gotta love us Cali girls!

...Tell us a little bit about yourself (or a lot, we’re not a judging bunch) 

MMaddix: I’m a sports journalist by trade (under a different name), and have been working in the industry for a decade, but fiction has become a bit of an obsession for me. I’m married to a very supportive guy who thinks I walk on water but doesn’t let me get away with shit. Gotta love a man with a firm hand! We live in the San Francisco Bay Area with our 15-year-old cat Fred.

Ana: You’re stuck on an island and have an unlimited supply of three items. What are those three items? 

MMaddix:  Fresh Georgia peaches, Stephen King books and drinking water.

Ana: Who would you kiss? Who would you fuck? And who would you marry?

MMaddix:  I’d kiss Johnny Depp (those lips!). I’d fuck the actor Sam Rockwell because I’ve always crushed on him and he just oozes sex appeal and self-confidence. And I’d marry Ryan Gosling because I would love to wake up to ‘Hey girl…’ every morning for the rest of my life!

Ana: If you had the chance to act out any sex scene from any book, what sex scene would it be?  

MMaddix: How lame is this? The one from Gone with the Wind, when Rhett takes Scarlett. It’s the original dubcon (dubious consent) story, but it’s totally hot. Alpha male tames bratty socialite. Spank me, Rhett!

Ana: Is the glass half empty or half full? 

MMaddix:  It’s half full for three weeks out of the month. Can I get a woot?

Ana: you can get TWO! Woot woot!

...If you could be any rockstars’ groupie, who would it be and why? 

MMaddix: Well, back in the day, my hubby was a D-list rockstar (he prefers the term ‘musician’ but I’ve heard a lot of stories that are decidedly rockstar-ish), so I guess I’m the ultimate groupie: I married him! But if we’re going for A-list rockstars, I’d have to choose a young Steven Tyler. Damn, he was so ugly he was hot back then. Now, he’s just freakish!

Ana: If you could pit two men against each other to fight to the death for you, who would those two men be? 

MMaddix: Trick question, Ana! One of them has to die, so I can’t pick two hotties! Lemme think… One of them would, of course, be Johnny Depp. (Call me gauche, I don’t care; he’s freakin’ hot!) The other would have to be smaller and unable to defend himself so Johnny could be all mine. I think I’ll go with Woody Allen — for so many reasons!

Ana: HAHA! I'm gonna have to be more specific next time and make them both hotties ;)

...If you could redo any part of your life, which part would it be and why?

MMaddix: Ooh, we’re getting serious here. Honestly, I regret very little in my life, even though I’ve had some very unpleasant experiences. They’ve made me who I am today, and I kinda like me! But if I were to redo something, it would be not having a good handle on my finances from the beginning of adulthood. Math isn’t my strong suit (what can I say, I’m a writer), so I always used that as an excuse to ignore the obvious: that I was spending more than I earned. Consequently, I never saved much. I now have control of my finances and that’s such an empowering feeling!

Ana: Okay, last question… and I’ve gotta ask… are you a beach bum? 

MMaddix: Oh, hellz yes! I’m a sailor so the ocean is like home to me. That probably makes me half-beach bum, half-boat bum, but it adds up to one big bum!

Ana: Thanks for stopping by! It was a pleasure having you here today :)

MMaddix: Thank you, Ana. Now I’ve got to go work on my tan…

Think Fast:

Ana: Wine or Jack Daniels?  

MMaddix: Wine, unless you switch Jack Daniels to Don Julio tequila.

Ana: Kinky or Vanilla?

MMaddix: I’m a vanilla girl when it comes to erotica AND food. 

Ana: Vampires or Werewolves?

MMaddix: Werewolves. Ooh, that alpha….

Ana: This or That?

MMaddix: This.

Ana: Day or Night?

MMaddix: Day.

Ana: Sleep or Insomnia?

MMaddix: Sleep!

Marina Maddix is a romantic at heart, but hates closing the bedroom door on her readers. Her stories are sweet, with just enough spice to make your mother blush. She lives with her husband and cat near the Pacific Ocean, and loves to hear from her fans. Email her @  marinamaddix@gmail.com

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Blog Tour: Review + Q & A: Three Sisters by Susan Mallery

Review + Guest Post

Thanks for stopping by! This tour is brought to you by Book Trib.

Follow this blog tour by clicking HERE :)

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review*

Three Sisters
(Book #2 in the Blackberry Island series)
Amazon | Goodreads | BN
Author: Susan Mallery
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA; Original edition (February 26, 2013)
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Adult, 352 pages

ISBN-10: 0778314340
ISBN-13: 978-0778314349

My Copy: ARC Paperback

SUMMARY:

After Andi Gordon is jilted at the altar, she makes the most impetuous decision of her life – buying one of the famed Three Sisters Queen Anne houses on Blackberry Island. Now the proud-ish owner of the ugly duckling of the trio, she plans to open her own pediatric office on the first floor, just as soon as her hunky contractor completes the work. Andi's new future may be coming together, but the truth is she's just as badly in need of a major renovation as her house.

When Deanna Phillips confronts her husband about a suspected affair, she opens up a Pandora's Box of unhappiness. And he claims that she is the problem. The terrible thing is, he's right. In her quest to be the perfect woman, she's lost herself, and she's in danger of losing her entire family if things don't change.

Next door, artist Boston King thought she and her college sweetheart would be married forever. Their passion for one other has always seemed indestructible. But after tragedy tears them apart, she's not so sure. Now it's time for them to move forward, with or without one another.

Thrown together by fate and geography, and bound by the strongest of friendships, these three women will discover what they're really made of: laughter, tears, love and all.

MY REVIEW:

First off, I am brand new to Susan Mallery and after reading Three Sisters, I'll definitely be diving into her other works. Three Sisters has three point of views from three women going through a phase in their lives where they are tested and pushed to their emotional brinks.

After Andi Gordon, pediatrician, is left at the alter with family and friends as witness to this horrible day, she packs her bags and heads to Blackberry Island to find herself and leave all her past (And her libido—or so she thinks) behind; Just like her fiance left her to marry his secretary. Shady, right?

Then you've got Boston King, Andi's new neighbor and amazing artist, who has issues of her own. After losing her newborn son to an unknown cause, Boston can't help but draw her grief away. Losing herself in her drawings is how she copes, but with this, Boston hasn't let herself fully accept that her baby boy is gone and that her marriage is slowly falling apart.

And last but not least you've got Deanna Phillips, the third of this fabulous trio. Deanna finds herself struggling to keep her marriage, family and herself together. Growing up with a rough past has seems to slow down her present and possibly keep her from her future.

I absolutely loved this book. The different issues that these three women had were tough in their own ways, yet they manage.  What I liked the most, would have to be the problems at hand. And how these three very strong women handled them and pulled their lives together. The background characters were a hoot. They added a bit of a breather from the main characters, that I think  was needed a time or two. What I didn't like, was one of the characters. Deanna Phillips. It started off a very slow dislike in the beginning of the book and as the book progressed, it turned into a simmering disgust. After about 60% - 70% of the book my feelings started to make a really big U-turn in which Deanna's character really wasn't so bad and I was starting to dislike her less and less. But, again, the characters around her is what made me pull through the first half of the book (on her POVs that is).

Following Andi, Boston and Deanna, I couldn't help but be pulled into this fantastic novel with these three women and their battle to overcome their hardships. I would definitely recommend this book. These women might be going through their own personal hell, but I would consider this a light read. This book is the second in the Blackberry Island series, but I don't feel I was missing anything from the first novel at all. So, with that, I would say that this can be read as stand alone.

MY RATING:

Q & A

With more than 25 million books sold worldwide, New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery is known for creating characters who feel as real as the folks next door, and for putting them into emotional, often funny situations readers recognize from their own lives. Susan’s books have made Booklist’s Top 10 Romances list in four out of five consecutive years. RT Book Reviews says, “When it comes to heartfelt contemporary romance, Mallery is in a class by herself.” With her popular, ongoing Fool’s Gold series, Susan has reached new heights on the bestsellers lists and has won the hearts of countless new fans.

Susan grew up in southern California, moved so many times that her friends stopped writing her address in pen, and now has settled in Seattle with her husband and the most delightfully spoiled little dog who ever lived. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com and www.facebook.com/susanmallery.

1) You’ve lived in many places across the country—out of all the places you’ve lived, which has given you the most inspiration for your writing? How deeply does your location influence the setting of your books?

I grew up in California, and I’d say that is the state that has inspired my writing more than any other. My fictional town of Fool’s Gold is based on many of the lovely, small towns I’ve visited in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada on the California side but of course has taken on a life of its own.

That said, Seattle, my current hometown, has influenced my writing quite a bit. All that rain keeps me at my desk! And of course, Blackberry Island, the setting for Three Sisters, is near Seattle.

2) What inspired you to create a fictional island off the coast of Seattle for the setting of Three Sisters? How did you come up with such a detailed history about the island (as posted on your website)?

Seattle and the islands in the Puget Sound are breathtakingly beautiful, especially when the sun shines. When you’re out on the water, the sunlight sparkles in the waves, and each inhale feels cool and fresh and liberating. A weekend getaway inspired Blackberry Island, which is both an island and a town, dotted with wineries and quaint B&Bs. (Every getaway should include wine!)

The island has a very interesting history, inspired by real-life events in Seattle and the Puget Sound area. I created the website to enrich the experience of reading the books, as bonus content for my readers. In addition to the island history, there’s a map and lots of great blackberry recipes, including a recipe for Blackberry Chipotle Chicken Tacos that will change the way you look at the world. www.blackberryisland.com

3) Who or what in your past made you decide that you wanted to become a writer?

I majored in Accounting in college. For months, I had been intrigued by a flyer for a night school course called “How to Write a Romance Novel.” I was an avid romance fan, so that class sounded like a lot more fun than my Accounting Theory class. (Columns of numbers weren’t boring enough – now we had to talk about the theory behind them.) Although I was taking a full load of regular courses, I couldn’t resist signing up for the fun class, too. Within a couple of weeks, I knew this was what I wanted to do with my life. I was a good girl and finished getting my degree, but I never worked as an accountant.

4) How do you come up with such dynamic characters? Do you base the characters in your books, like Andi, Deanna and Boston, on people you know in your real life? 

I think my characters feel real to readers because they feel so very real to me. Makes for some confusing dinner conversation. At times, when I’m ranting about something someone said that day, my husband has to clarify, “Is this person real?” (I bet that question doesn’t come up in most marriages!)

No, I don’t base characters on people I know in real life. Part of my job as a writer is to torture my characters, to put them into uncomfortable situations and then ask myself, “How can I make this worse?” I’m too nice a person to do that to people I really know!

Most of them, anyway.

5) What’s the last book that kept you up all night to finish reading?

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins is a terrific young adult novel. I’m not normally into paranormal, but I gave this a shot because a friend recommended it. I loved it. The book has all the wonderful angst of growing up – the issues of trying to fit in, the cute crush, the awkwardness of making friends, along with the trauma of coming to terms with who we really are.

New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery has entertained millions of readers with her witty and emotional stories about women and the relationships that move them. Publisher’s Weekly calls Susan’s prose “luscious and provocative,” and Booklist says, “Novels don’t get much better than Mallery’s expert blend of emotional nuance, humor and superb storytelling.” While Susan appreciates the critical praise, she is most honored by the enthusiastic readers who write to tell her that her books made them laugh, made them cry, and made the world a happier place to live.

Susan lives in Seattle with her husband and her tiny but intrepid toy poodle. She’s there for the coffee, not the weather. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com.

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Review: In Need of Therapy by Tracie Banister

In Need of Therapy
Amazon | Goodreads | BN
Author: Tracie Banister
Publisher: Self Published (July 19, 2012)
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance, 478 pages
ASIN: B008N6Z36Y
My Copy: eBook

SUMMARY:

Lending a sympathetic ear and dispensing sage words of advice is all part of the job for psychologist Pilar Alvarez, and she’s everything a good therapist should be: warm, compassionate, supportive. She listens, she cares, and she has all the answers, but how’s the woman everyone turns to in their hour of need supposed to cope when her own life starts to fall apart?


While working hard to make a success of her recently-opened practice in trendy South Beach, Pilar must also find time to cater to the demands of her boisterous Cuban family, which includes younger sister Izzy, an unemployed, navel-pierced wild child who can't stay out of trouble, and their mother, a beauty queen turned drama queen who’s equally obsessed with her fading looks and getting Pilar married before it’s “too late.” Although she’d like to oblige her mother and make a permanent love connection, Pilar’s romantic prospects look grim. Her cheating ex, who swears that he’s reformed, is stalking her. A hunky, but strictly off-limits, patient with bad-boy appeal and intimacy issues is making passes. And the sexy shrink in the suite across the hall has a gold band on his left ring finger.

When a series of personal and professional disasters lead Pilar into the arms of one of her unsuitable suitors, she's left shaken, confused, and full of self-doubt. With time running out, she must make sense of her feelings and learn to trust herself again so that she can save her business, her family, and most importantly, her heart.

MY REVIEW:

Pilar Alvarez is a therapist who is nearly 30 years old and still isn't married. That "still" being stressed by her ever persistent and overtly dramatic mama. Aside from helping her patients get through all of their problems, Pilar finds herself in a bit of a romance puddle. With three guys no less.

It took me a while to get into this book, but once I got to about 30% in, this book was easy sailing. I wasn't really a big fan of Pilar and a few other characters in this book. They just weren't my cup of tea, but that didn't stop the awesomeness that is this book. Aside from my slight dislike for Pilar, I thought her therapy patients were pretty danged cool. The problems they dealt with I wouldn't have thought of, even though they were pretty common. And I'm sure that a few of us have run into people with said problems:

• Hypochondriac 
• Teenage body issues
• Man Whore
• Marriage issues
• Clingy woman

Familiar with these? Yepp. Aren't we all. Ms. Banister sure does have a way with going about these issues that I wouldn't even have touched. I felt these characters, as little page time as they had, were very believable. 

Pilar doesn't just have to deal with her patients, but also with her starting up business, rent, family issues, clingy-ex-boyfriend-who-doesn't-understand-the-meaning-of-no, a patient with the hots for her, and a hot new doctor who takes up the office right next to hers. All these things kept me turning the page and anticipating what will happen next, even the patients. 

I would definitely recommend this book. It might be oozing with other peoples problems, but it's definitely a light read with a budding romance in the making. 

MY RATING: