Sales, Sales and More Sales!

Who doesn't love a good sale?  And there are lots of them these days!  So get your one-clicking fingers ready.  Here are some of our favs:

Deep Down by Brenda Rothert

Just $0.99 for you to meet the Lockhard Brothers.  Trust me...they're worth it.

The Boyfriend Series Box Set by Erin Noelle

Our favorite guest reviewer has the entire box set on sale for just $0.99!  This is next on my TBR.

Letters Written in White by Kathryn Perez

This highly anticipated novel is on sale during the pre-order for just $2.99.  Once it goes live, the price jumps to $3.99.  Either way, you better believe I'll be reading it!

Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid

If you haven't jumped on the Penny Reid bandwagon, now is a great time to do it.  Her very first novel is FREE!!

Promise by Kristie Cook

This paranormal series is absolutely addicting.  And you have nothing to lose when trying it out because the first book in the series is always FREE!

Arouse by Nina Lane

This was my very favorite series read of last year.  You're in luck...the first installment is FREE!

La Luxure: Discover Your Blood Lust by CD Hussey

This FREEBIE was a really fun read.  Especially when I got to the twist that I never, ever saw coming.  Great Halloween read!

What If by Bayli Lane

This fantastic read was on my Top 10 list for last year.  For just $0.99, it is a steal.

Remember When by T. Torrest

Wonderful, wonderful series.  It's a top read for this year.  The fact that the first installment is FREE is just icing on the cake!

Worth the Weight by Mara Jacobs

If you haven't met Mara Jacobs yet, you must!  Her writing is effortless.  It's effortless on your part, too, since her first installment is FREE!

Here's to Tomorrow by Teagan Hunter

This newbie author has some great stories to tell.  For just $1.99 you can see what I'm talking about.

Picking up the Pieces by Jessica Prince

While I think this is the old cover, the price is new.  This is the book Jessica herself forbid me to read until my pregnancy hormones stabilized.  But even she couldn't stop my one-click finger from picking up this FREEBIE!

Guest Reviewer Erin Noelle Tells You Why You Should Dive in and Get "Wet"

Before I begin this review, let me start off by telling you how much I LOVE doing these guest reviews. As an indie-author myself, it brings me great joy to spread the love and introduce readers to little gems I find in my personal reading. There are so many new authors in the self-publishing world that I think people often are nervous about the quality of work they’ll get with an unproven product, and rightfully so. Well have no fear people, that’s why I’m here, and today I have a debut novel by Stacy Kestwick for you that you’re doing to want to dive right in to…and get "Wet".

Book One in "The Water’s Edge Series" begins with Sadie, a twenty-something year old girl, who has picked up and moved to Reynold’s Island, a South Carolina barrier island, to live with her best friend, Rue, after her P.O.S. boyfriend did what most P.O.S. boyfriends do. Taking whatever she can get on the job front, she pushes her training as a photographer to the side and becomes a lifeguard at the Water’s Edge Resort, where she meets and becomes friends with one of the local islanders, Theo.

            

Rue and Theo both push her to break out of the funk that usually follows an unexpected breakup, and through going out with them to the island’s popular hang-out spots, she meets West Montgomery, resident cocky-as-shit-because-I-know-I-look-good bastard. And of course, that’s where the fun begins.

            

From the very first page, I fell in love with the writing style and the heroine’s voice in the story. The flow is perfectly-paced and the dialogue is easy and natural, providing for realistic character development. The witty humor intertwined around a moderate amount of drama and angst had me turning the pages like a crazy woman. I mean who doesn’t like a book about spending steamy, summer island nights with a hot-as-sin boat captain and your choice of Krispy Kreme doughnuts or phallic-shaped pancakes the morning after?

            

Now before you go read this book, get to the end, and then come screaming at me about the cliffhanger… I KNOW!!! Believe me. I really f*cking know, and have already had that same reaction. But in case you missed earlier in the review, I did mention this is Book One of Two in Sadie and West’s story, and the second installment, "Soaked", is scheduled to come out late 2015 (which isn’t very far away). Personally, I’m a fan of cliffies because I love the anticipation it builds in me when I know the next installment is getting ready to come out. When a book is this good, I’ll have no problems reading it again, probably picking up even more the second go-round, right before the conclusion is released. 

I hope you’ll feel the same way and take a chance on getting "Wet"! You can get it by clicking here.

Mara Jacobs' Books are Always "Worth" Reading

My very first blog post was about an author no one had told me about before.  Her name was Mara Jacobs and I randomly found her when I picked up her book "Worth the Weight" for free.  I fell in love with the book and promptly one-clicked the rest of them.

So imagine my excitement when I saw a new installment in what is arguably one of my very favorite series'.  (On a side note, I have no idea why I wasn't counting down the days until it released.  How I missed it, I'll never know.  But it made for a great surprise!)

I wish I could give an accurate description of "Worth the Price", but the synopsis does it better than I ever could.  So here it is:

"Liv Beck loved her husband desperately, but that wasn't enough to keep him.  A failed marriage has taught her what's important, and how to get what she wants.  Unfortunately, she'll need her ex-husband's help to get it.

Twain Beck has dealt with the guilt of his divorce for seven years. Now he can finally make it up to Liv by giving her the one thing she wants most.  But is the price too high?

Spending time together reminds Liv how much she always loved Twain, but she knows she needs to protect her heart this time.  Twain can't understand these new feelings he's developing for Liv.  Could he be falling in love with his ex-wife?

Is trying again...Worth The Price?"

The thing I love about Mara Jacobs' writing is that it is effortless. There is no added drama for the sake of over the top angst or a gut-wrenching climax.  That's not to say you don't feel emotion when you read her books.  You absolutely do.

But what sets them apart is that they are realistic.  The relationship Twain and Liv have could be that of any divorced couple.  The emotions you feel when you find out the truth of why they split in the first place don't come from a place of throw-your-kindle-across-the-room shock.  They come from a place of genuine grief because you've connected with the characters in a very real way.

Add onto it, "Worth the Price" beautifully reiterates that no one ever really knows why a marriage crumbles except the two people in the marriage...no matter how much speculation there may be.  And no matter what they let you believe.

My only critique is what my BFF Allison said when she finished..."I need an epilogue!"  Well, I agree.  But I could also use 15 more chapters, another installment and maybe a live in housekeeper.  But alas, I have to defer to Ms. Jacobs on this one.  Only she knows when the story is actually over so I trust her judgement.  

Either way, you won't be disappointed.  You can get "Worth the Price" by clicking here.  And rest assured, while the entire series is fantastic, they can each be read as stand alone novels.  But...why would you want to do that???

Once again, Mara Jacobs has proven why her books are always "Worth" it for a solid

 

I Can't "Remember When" I Enjoyed a Series So Much

If you are like me, you are probably afraid to count how many books are on your ereader.  Personally, my TBR list is longer than I could possibly ever get through and just the thought of missing out on something brilliant causes me anxiety.  What can I say...it's a curse.

On the flip side, having a zillion books to choose from means sometimes I end up finding something spectacular that I missed when it was first released.

That's how I found the "Remember When" series by T. Torrest the other day; I randomly selected a book that looked intriguing and dove in.

After devouring what was one of the best books I've read in a while, I promptly one-clicked the rest of the books in the series (it's a trilogy) and finished them all in less than two days.  At one point, I actually put the last book down and walked away because I didn't want it to end.  I had to prolong it for a while.

So let's back up for a minute.  What makes these books so great?  

Easy.  The writing.

"Remember When" is told from Layla's point of view as she tells the story of her relationship with Trip Wiley, the hottest male actor in Hollywood.  

Part One is about their relationship in high school, way back in 1990, before Trip ever went to California.  The details are spot on, from big hair and stretch pants to the pop-culture references, which makes it fun.  But the writing is so brilliantly done that by the time you get to Part Two, when Trip is a movie star, it doesn't come across as cheesy or unrealistic.  The characters, and therefore the readers, always knew Trip was destined for great things.  He was always charismatic and stood out from the rest.  So his fame isn't a shock to anyone inside or outside of the story.

Parts Two and Three concentrate on Layla and Trip's attempts at rekindling their relationship while in the Hollywood spotlight.  While not a new concept, what makes this one stand out from the rest is the fact that these two can't figure out how to get it right.  That makes for an extremely realistic story.  And let's face it...how many times have you sat back after finishing a book and thought "Well that resolved itself too quickly, didn't it?"  

"Remember When", however, took it's time.  It didn't rush as we took a journey through heartache and unconditional love.  It didn't gloss over looking at insecurities we all would face under these circumstances.  

Hands down, "Remember When" is one of my top reads this year.  I adored the series, adored the characters and now, I adore T. Torrest's writing.

You can get "Remember When: Part One" by clicking here.  It's free on Kindle, so you've got nothing to lose!  Even if you opt not to read Parts Two and Three, you won't regret reading the first installment.  If for no other reason, than to relive high school, '90's style.

I can't "Remember When" the last time I enjoyed a series so much that all three books received 

Sara Ney's Guest Review of Some "Blurred Lines"

I can’t stop recommending this book to people, and it’s making me say things like, “freaking amazing,” “you have to freaking read this,” and “[profanity].”

I was minding my own business, not looking for something new to read, and floating aimlessly around the Cloud on my Kindle. Nothing looked appealing; none of the downloaded samples, nothing I already own... So many books and not a darn thing to read. Not only that, I was on a Historical Romance binge and waiting for a sexy Scottish hottie to rip his kilt off.

Oh, wait… that’s totally off topic (dirty mind and all that…).

I stumbled across Blurred Lines by accident, clicking on the cover despite nothing setting it apart from the hundreds of books in my recommendations: just a black and white shot of a girl and guy almost kissing. I’m not ashamed to admit it: I am a cover girl that judges a book by its artwork. So whatever compelled me to open the link and read the synopsis is beyond me.

But I did. Perhaps it was my weakened condition; desperation for something to take my mind off of reality. Off my writing.

Author Lauren Layne immediately seduced me with her blurb. And I think it’s also important to add I very rarely One-Click—I repeat: rarely. Yet this blurb had my finger itching, and soon I couldn’t stop it from tapping that orange One-Click button, dammit. #InstaBookLove #Wittyblurb

From the offset, Blurred Lines drew me in. Yes, yes, “drawing a reader in” sounds like such a cliché that even I want to roll my eyes, but it’s the truth, and I can’t find better words to describe it. Fast-paced dialogue and easy flow had me face-palming my husband when he leaned in for a kiss—I could not afford to be distracted! Husband, for the love of God, leave me read!

Lauren Layne tackles the literary plot cliché, “Can a girl and a guy be just… friends?” Yes. No! Yes…. Naked.

Often times, an author will throw in unnecessary drama, plot twists and plot devices just to make their story plausible. Or longer. Or to try and be different. Especially when the theme is a cliché. Well, I’m happy to say Blurred Lines relied on none of these things. Hallelujah! Just a storyline that wasn’t forced and felt real. Ben and Parker exist within these pages, and could in real life.

Their inner dialogue was fresh, funny, and spot on—each character has uniquely distinguishable thoughts. Which, I’m telling you, takes talent.

While the sex scenes weren’t overly descriptive [insert fifty shades of disappointment here because, hello—dirty mind], the quick wit and banter more than made up for it when Parker and Ben finally “seal the deal.” And seal it they did.

This book, while not an original theme, was superbly executed. I hadn’t read anything by Lauren Layne before this week… Now? I’m racing around the Kindle store with Tami Estes grabby hands playing catch-up. Layne’s books are exactly what I love to read.

I followed up Blurred Lines, which you can get by clicking here, with Crushed (also amazing) and have the rest on my TBR.

I can’t suggest highly enough that you do the same.