Stripped by Brooklyn Skye - Blog Tour - Review - Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Stripped blog tour hosted by YA Bound.  

Click HERE to see the full blog tour schedule!

Stripped

by Brooklyn Skye 

Release Date: 05/14/13

Summary from Goodreads: 

“I like you.” His voice is low and soft, which I don’t deserve. I look away, down the rutted parking lot.

“Don’t…waste those words on me.”

He touches my cheek. “You just need someone to show you.”

“No.” I ease back again. “I don’t. So please, Torrin, stop trying to swoop in and save me. I don’t need saving.”

College freshman Quinn Montgomery will do anything to avoid the mistake her sister made—killing herself over a boy. But when she is forced into nude modeling at a local college to support her family after a bankruptcy, she begins to crack, just enough to let Torrin, the university’s top varsity oarsman, see that the real Quinn is not as feisty and unapproachable as she wants everyone to think. But letting someone in comes at a steep cost and, it turns out, Torrin is connected to Quinn’s family in more ways than she could ever imagine.

Review Copy Source

I received my review copy from the author and YA Bound to read and review for this blog tour.

Rating

4.5 Stars

Initial Thoughts

4.5-5 stars

I'm waffling-its true....

good characters great story really emotional

I was invested in it

I'm iffy on the ending... that's my sticking point

My Review

So I'm going with 4.5 stars only because I'm being stingy this evening... I really enjoyed reading this book and I was totally invested in the characters and the story. The ending sealed the deal for me - I almost wish it was a cliff rather than a real ending, but then I would just be complaining about that - damn me... there's no pleasing me ;) Seriously though, the end was nicely done - I'd love to see what comes next for them but it isn't like I'm feeling like "OMG - I'm going to die if I don't" because the end was nicely done.

I really liked the writing and the author's style in this book. I will most definitely be reading more from her as I find it.

I of course love the New Adult genre and this fits lovely into my new obsession :D I would recommend this
to readers who like books with drama and romance and twists - of course you need to be a little older to read this - I'm not your mother, but this is a mature content book - so please pay attention and heed the warning.

About the Author

Brooklyn Skye is just your average awkward girl who's obsessed with words. She grew up in a small California town where she quickly realized writing was an easy escape from small town life.

Website / Twitter / Goodreads

***GIVEAWAY***

One signed paperback copy of Stripped (US only) or one e-book copy with authorgraph (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

until next time <3

jen

Eden Series by Janelle Stalder Pre-Order for UtopYA

if you are going to this event, I have two things for you...

#1 - you suck and I'm jealous!

#2 - preorder one of Janelle's books and stop by to meet her!  She's awesome and I'm sure she's only more amazing in person :)

The Eden Series by Janelle Stalder

Book #1

Book #2

Book #3

Eden-East Book #4

 

until next time, 

xo jen

Cover Reveal: Until I Break by M. Leighton

today I get to help reveal the cover for Until I Break by the awesomely talented M. Leighton!  Love her so so much!!

Let's get going =D

Isn't it pretty!!

Book Info:

Title: Until I Break (A Twisted Novel)

Author: M. Leighton

Publisher: M. Leighton

Release date: May 14, 2013

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Group: Adult

Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours

Book Description:

Laura Drake is an author. She writes bestselling paranormal romances that continue to top the charts. She is sharp. She is confident. She is in control.

And she doesn’t exist.

Samantha Jansen is the woman behind the wig, the woman most of the world doesn’t know exists. She is shy. She is insecure. She is nothing like her main character or her alter ego. She is scarred—deeply scarred—by a past she can’t let go of and a present she can’t make peace with.

Samantha’s dreams are consumed by one man, the broken hero from her books. Mason Strait is both her wildest fantasy and her most terrifying nightmare.

When Samantha meets Alec Brand, a corporate consultant, it is as though Mason has come to life. Alec is handsome to a fault, as elegant as he is arrogant, and more intense than any man has a right to be.

Samantha is soon sucked into a world that mirrors the fiction she writes. Just like her main character, Daire Kirby, Samantha finds herself unable to resist the forbidden lure of Alec. And just like Daire, she also finds that she is faced with taking a chance on a man who could either set her free or destroy her.

The scale tilts toward destruction when Samantha finds out that Alec is as much a work of fiction as Mason. And he has scars of his own, scars that could ruin them both.

About the Author:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, M. Leighton, is a native of Ohio. She relocated to the warmer climates of the South, where she can be near the water all summer and miss the snow all winter. Possessed of an overactive imagination from early in her childhood, Michelle finally found an acceptable outlet for her fantastical visions: literary fiction. Having written over a dozen novels, these days Michelle enjoys letting her mind wander to more romantic settings with sexy Southern guys, much like the one she married and the ones you'll find in her latest books. When her thoughts aren't roaming in that direction, she'll be riding wild horses, skiing the slopes of Aspen or scuba diving with a hot rock star, all without leaving the cozy comfort of her office.

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GR | Amazon | B&N

go on, add this to your TBR - you know you want to!

   ;)

until next time, 

xo jen

Review : Undeclared by Jen Frederick

I told you all yesterday that I was soooooooooo excited about getting this review copy... well I already finished reading it!  

I know right!  I was up until 2 AM last night and literally killed both my Kindle Fire and my iPad before I finally went to bed, begrudgingly I might add...  ;)

Horrible little habit I have, but soooooooooooooooooo **breath** ooooooooooooooooo worth it!

Here we go:

Book Blurb from GR:

For four years, Grace Sullivan wrote to a Marine she never met, and fell in love. But when his deployment ended, so did the letters. Ever since that day, Grace has been coasting, academically and emotionally. The one thing she’s decided? No way is Noah Jackson — or any man — ever going to break her heart again.

Noah has always known exactly what he wants out of life. Success. Stability. Control. That’s why he joined the Marines and that’s why he’s fighting his way — literally — through college. Now that he’s got the rest of his life on track, he has one last conquest: Grace Sullivan. But since he was the one who stopped writing, he knows that winning her back will be his biggest battle yet.

Book Info:

eBook

Expected publication: May 1st 2013 by Jen Frederick

Series: Woodlands

Source:  

Review copy requested from and given to me by the author, Jen Frederick, in exchange for an honest review.

Series Info:

Series Name:  Woodlands

Book #1: Undeclared 

Book #2:  Unspoken

My Rating: 

5/5 stars

My Review:

Let me start off by saying I am so excited that this is not a stand alone!  I can't wait for the next installment!  I loved the world that Jen Frederick was able to create and the characters in it.  She seems to have an effortless way of crafting her characters that I really really loved.  The flow of her writing was really nice, I didn't reread or get bored - which is kind of obvious since I was up so late reading it.  

moving on to the good stuff...  this book has some HOT scenes in it!  This is a debut for this author so I wasn't sure what to expect exactly on the steam factor, but WOW - it was niiiiiiiiiiiiice.  

These characters like I said earlier were really great - I actually cared about them...  Noah more so than Grace but by the end of the book I was loving Grace as well.  It took the journey she went on for me to feel fully invested in her, but that's the point of reading a good book, right?!  I absolutely love Noah - he is so complicated and so emotional and yet not... confusing right, well read the book - you'll know what I mean.

I don't want to say much more because I don't want to spoil anything for you - because I know you all will love this book when you pick it up next week on Wednesday, 5/1!  

I will leave you with possibly my favorite quote from the book... enjoy:

"I know that your greatest fear is that you aren't good enough.  But you are.  You are the best kind of person, Noah.  ... You are even better than Odysseus because he was an imaginary character dreamt up by some writer.  You are real.  And amazing."

Buy it:

It's available now!!  

GO GET IT!!

Amazon

Smashwords

All Romance

Kobo

Author Links:

goodreads | facebook | twitter | website | blog

please check out this awesome new author and her amazing debut!

until next time,
Jen

Holy Cow I had to share... Undeclared by Jen Frederick

ok I am soooooooooooo excited I had to share!

I just got a review copy of Undeclared by Jen Frederick and I am sooooooooooo excited to start reading it today.

I will have the review for you this weekend, possibly sooner ;) we'll see how fast I am able to find reading time!!  

anyway - as I said, I am sooooooooo excited - like this:

 

yep, uh huh... 

now check out this book, add it to you TBR, and make a note pick it up when it releases next week on Wednesday, May 1st!!

For four years, Grace Sullivan wrote to a Marine she never met, and fell in love. But when his deployment ended, so did the letters. Ever since that day, Grace has been coasting, academically and emotionally. The one thing she’s decided? No way is Noah Jackson — or any man — ever going to break her heart again.                                                                                        Noah has always known exactly what he wants out of life. Success. Stability. Control. That’s why he joined the Marines and that’s why he’s fighting his way — literally — through college. Now that he’s got the rest of his life on track, he has one last conquest: Grace Sullivan. But since he was the one who stopped writing, he knows that winning her back will be his biggest battle yet.

**a note from the author**

This is a mature New Adult book. I see that it is classified as YA - not sure how to change that - but I wanted to be clear that it has explicit love scenes in the story.

right?!  I know...

Where to find Jen Frederick online:

goodreads | facebook | twitter | author website & blog

ok now I'm off to work and read - until next time,

xo  - jen

Release Week Event: OFF LIMITS by Sawyer Bennett

Release Week Event!

OFF LIMITS 

by Sawyer Bennett

Book Description:

“There is a vulnerability there, hovering just below the surface. And I want to pick at it until I expose it. Then I want to kiss it." 

Two years ago, Emily Burnham, had an epiphany about the shallowness of her life.  And she made it her mission to become a different person…a better woman.  Out from under the controlling thumb of her mother, Emily is tasting the real world for the first time.  And she likes it.

Nixon Caldwell has served his time in the Marine Corps, surviving two brutal tours in Afghanistan. He is back home, surrounded by what he likes best…isolation.  It's certainly the easiest way to avoid confrontation of the consuming guilt that is weighing him down.

When an accident brings Emily and Nix together, he soon learns he is not the master of his own fate. Struggling with his own pain, Nix tries to guard himself against Emily’s charms.  He wants her in his bed, but he doesn’t want her in his heart.  

Having grabbed life by the horns, Emily wants it all.  But is she willing to accept just the small part of himself that Nix is offering?  Can she reach the part of his soul that he has deemed to be Off Limits?

This book is the follow up novel to Off Sides by Sawyer Bennett. However, Off Sides can be read as a stand-alone.

Releases TODAY!!

April 16, 2013

Book Details:

Title:   Off Limits

Author:   Sawyer Bennett

Publisher:  Big Dog Books, LLC

Release date:  April 16, 2013

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Group: New Adult

Event organized by: AToMR Tours

Book trailer: http://youtu.be/-eBTjlYa_kQ

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17607787-off-limits

Excerpt:

"This can't happen, Emily."
The disbelief on her face pours through into her voice. "Why?"
Why indeed?
All of those reasons that were sparking through my brain are lost. I know I had sound logic not just ten seconds ago, but I can't grasp it right now.
"Because...we're not...compatible."
She stuns me when she laughs, genuine delight showing in her eyes. "Oh, we're compatible. Your working parts and mine were in perfect alignment just a few seconds ago."
Damn, that is hot!
She's clearly saying that wasn't just a kiss. She's saying she was imagining those multiple orgasms just the way I was. I almost lunge at her to pull her back in my arms, but I have a shocking moment of clarity.
I shake my head at her. "Our parts are definitely compatible, Em. But that's all it would be. It would never be anything but a fuck."
I expect those words to hurt her...to enrage her...to make her realize that Nix Caldwell is the world's biggest asshole. I hope those words cause her to go running from my house in tears.
Instead, she says, "So?"

Author Info:

Sawyer Bennett is the pen name for a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. She is married to a mobster (well, a market researcher) and they have two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn't have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate. 

goodreads | website | facebook | twitter

Buy Links:

You have to check out this book - you know I have already bought my copy :)  Here is the link, xo!

Giveaway!!

• Open Internationally!
• Mobi & ePub Formats only

xo - enter here to win <3

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Off Sides (Book #1)

Description:

“I'm not sure what possessed me to do it. Maybe it was the impossible expectations I faced, maybe it was my own self-loathing. But I just knew I needed something different to happen. I needed someone...something...to derail me from my current path. Otherwise, I would become lost...a hollowed out shell of a man. So I did it. I approached her, then I pursued her, then I made her mine. And my life was saved...”

Ryan Burnham is the privileged son of a U.S. Congressman and captain of his university’s hockey team. While he is on the verge of fulfilling his dreams to play in the NHL, his parents want him on a different course. One he is expected to accept for the sake of his family’s public image.

Forced her to abandon her music career after the heart breaking death of her parents, Danny Cross exists on the opposite side of the tracks from Ryan. She is struggling to make her own way, working two jobs, attending college part time and volunteering in a homeless shelter. She is on a mission to build her own success.

With a chance meeting, their vastly different worlds collide, causing each to evaluate whether they are truly on the correct path to self-fulfillment and happiness. Can their relationship survive? Particularly when others are against them every step of the way. A lot can happen in just ten short days...

until next time, 

<3 jen