{Read Time} Join us @Crossroadreview and @Wtfareyoureadin for Read Time at 1pm EST


Come join Crossroads and WTF at 1pm EST today for our Read Time live web cast.  
Today we will be talking about The 5th Wave as well as our new read along wave for Sept. 1-6th 

Other things that will be discussed are:

 Miley Cyrus
Divergent 
Books to Movies
and more!!!!





Premier Virtual Author Book Tours Presents: Mr. Monk Helps Himself

Mr. Monk Helps HimselfPublisher: Penguin USA (June 4, 2013)
Category: Cozy Mystery
Tour Date: August, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-451-24093-4
Available in: Print & eBook,  286 Pages

Publisher: Penguin USA (June 4, 2013)
Category: Cozy Mystery
Tour Date: August, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-451-24093-4
Available in: Print & eBook,  286 Pages

Mr. Monk Helps Himself is an all-new mystery, written by Hy Conrad, the Edgar Award-nominated screenwriter and co-executive producer of Monkand starring the characters from the wildly successful television series.

Now that Monk and Natalie are both in San Francisco again, life is almost back to normal, with one exception:  Natalie is studying for her PI license, the last step to becoming Monk's full partner.

Before taking the plunge, Natalie sneaks off to Half Moon Bay for a retreat run by Miranda Bigley, charismatic leader of the "Best Possible Me" self-help program, whose philosophy has helped Natalie deal with her recent life changes.  Her plans for a relaxing weekend are disrupted when Monk tracks her down, determined to rescue her from the "cult."  Their argument is cut short when Miranda, in full view of everyone, calmly walks to the edge of a cliff and jumps off.

Even though Miranda's death looks like suicide-especially when it's discovered that she was on the brink of financial disaster-Natalie is sure it is murder.  But Monk brushes her off to help the SFPD solve the murder of a clown, despite his fear of clowns-number ninety-nine on his list of one hundred phobias.

Natalie and Monk begin their separate investigations and are quickly caught up in situations neither one of them can handle.  If they want to solve both crimes - and survive - they first need to learn how to be full partners.  Can Monk handle the change?

My Thoughts

I try very hard to remain objective when reviewing, but Mr. Monk Helps Himself, left this unreformed Monk addict over the moon.
Monk is back, as full of quirks and obsessions as ever.
Working with his assistant turned partner, Natalie Teeger, and coping none too well with the business choice of his lady love Ellen; Monk finds himself face to face with more than a few changes.  Lets just hope that he can cope long enough to nab the bad guys.

This is a truly delightful mystery, filled to the brim with the trademark wit, quirk, genius, and dysfunction that Monk is known for.
One of the best parts of this read is the fact that Natalie is given a chance to shine this time around.
A great deal of the story is centered around her, and she even gets to lead her own case.

Add to that the story of Ellen and Monk (love in a time of OCD) and what you have is a well rounded and extremely readable story, sporting not one but two mysteries, and a sweet cozy ending.

 

About Hy Conrd 

Hy Conrad was one of the original writers on the USA Network television series  Monk and stayed with the series for all eight seasons, acting as co-executive producer for the last two seasons and garnering three Edgar® Award nominations. In addition, Hy was head writer of the webisode series Little Monk and served as consulting producer and writer on the USA series White Collar.

He is the author of hundreds of short stories, dozens of interactive mysteries, and ten books of solvable whodunits, sold around the world in fourteen languages. His first mystery novel series, Abel Adventures, premiered in 2012, with the publication of Rally 'Round the Corpse.  On a more humorous note, Hy is also the author of Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You to Know.

Author Website: http://www.hyconrad.com/



HFVBT Presents: The Age of Desire

Paperback Publication Date: May 28, 2013
Penguin Publishing
Paperback; 384p
ISBN: 978-0143123286

For fans of The Paris Wife, a sparkling glimpse into the life of Edith Wharton and the scandalous love affair that threatened her closest friendship.

They say that behind every great man is a great woman. Behind Edith Wharton, there was Anna Bahlmann—her governess turned literary secretary and confidante. At the age of forty-five, despite her growing fame, Edith remains unfulfilled in a lonely, sexless marriage. Against all the rules of Gilded Age society, she falls in love with Morton Fullerton, a dashing young journalist. But their scandalous affair threatens everything in Edith’s life—especially her abiding ties to Anna.

At a moment of regained popularity for Wharton, Jennie Fields brilliantly interweaves Wharton’s real letters and diary entries with her fascinating, untold love story. Told through the points of view of both Edith and Anna, The Age of Desire transports readers to the golden days of Wharton’s turn-of-the century world and—like the recent bestseller The Chaperone—effortlessly re-creates the life of an unforgettable woman.



 My Thoughts

  The Age of Desire serves as a meticulously rendered tableau of Edith Wharton's life.
Set during the time just after the publication of her critically acclaimed novel The House of Mirth; this novel allows readers a glimpse at what prove to be defining moments in Mrs. Wharton's existance.
Being a woman in the early 1900's is by no means an easy thing.  Even if you do live a life as opulent as that of our Mrs. Wharton.  She is a product of the "woman are but feathers in the cap of their men" generation.  Her most important role being that of "someone's someone".

The problem with train of thought.

Edith's loveless marriage.

The solution...
One Morton Fullerton.  It seems that the spark of sexual passion that Mr. Fullerton is able to ignite in Edith acts as a golden sun to the tender blossom that is her womanhood.  Readers get a front and center seat and are allowed intimate access to some of the most tender and most heart-rending moments of her relationship with "the man of her heart".

While her relationship with Mr Fullerton is a new one, the one that she has with her governess, turned secretary, and always loyal lifetime friend, Anna Bahlmann, is one that has lasted her life.  As the second voice in the story, Anna serves as the narrator of both her and Edith's pasts and losses. I dare say that Anna appears to have a bit of a martyr complex at times.  It seems as though Anna wants the freedom that Edith finds, but is too afraid to step out of Edith's shadow to find it.

This book is so well written and seems to express it's subject so completely, that it is very easy to lose sight of the sight of the fact that it is fiction.
This is a read that enthralls, repels, intrigues, and titillates with every turn of the page.

 Link to Tour Schedule: http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/theageofdesiretour/

Twitter Hashtag: #AgeOfDesireTour

 

 About the Author


Born in the heart of the heart of the country – Chicago -- Jennie Fields decided to become a writer at the age of six and produced her first (365 page!) novel when she was eleven.  She received her MFA at the Iowa Writers Workshop and published her first short stories while spending a postgraduate year at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown.  But needing to feed her family  in the era just post-Mad Men, she became an early female copywriter at an advertising agency, soon rising to creative director and moving to New York.  In her 32-year advertising career, she wrote and produced many well-known and award-winning commercials.  People even now can embarrass her by telling her they grew up dancing to one of her McDonalds’ jingles. 

Still, fiction was her great love.  Writing during her lunch hour and after her daughter’s bedtime she penned her first novel, Lily Beach, which was published by Atheneum in 1993 to much acclaim.  Since then, she’s written three more novels including Crossing Brooklyn Ferry and The Middle Ages. Her latest, The Age of Desire, is a biographical novel based on the life of the author dearest to her heart, Edith Wharton.  An Editor’s Choice of the New York Times Book Review, it describes Wharton’s mid-life love affair with a younger, manipulative man.  Why the affinity to Wharton?  Because she wrote about people attempting to break society’s expectations for them – which is something Fields has been yearning to do all her life.

For more information, please visit Jennie's website.
You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.



Enjoy The Easy Romance of "Rock And A Hard Place"

Rock and a Hard Place (The Jamieson Collection, #1)Title:  Rock And A Hard Place
(The Jamison Collection)
Author:  Angie Stanton
Format:  ERC
Length:  228 pages
Publisher:  Harper Teen
Rating:  5 Stars

One day while watching the Interstate exit for her dad’s long awaited return, Libby’s life is rocked when Peter Jamieson steps off his tour bus and into her life. After a couple chance meetings with Peter, Libby breaks away from her rule abiding behavior and her life changes course.

Peter longs for normalcy away from the screaming fans who know nothing about the real him. He is amazed to discover Libby has never heard of him or his band. Soon their friendship turns to love. While Peter battles his family's growing interference so he can spend time with Libby, she struggles with her eccentric aunt who turns more bizarre each day.

Their lives are torn apart when Peter's family intrudes and Libby disappears. Peter’s desperate search for her comes up empty. Can they find their way back to each other while the world plots against them?   -Goodreads



My Thoughts


Rock And A Hard Place is the ultimate contemporary Cinderella story...with a boy band twist!

Readers want the best for Libby, who has had a less than stellar life since surviving the car crash that took the lives of her mother and younger sister. Now, living on the farm of her verbally abusive eccentric aunt; she finds herself wishing for something or someone...real.
  
Enter the dream...

Shy and creative Peter Jamison knows what it's like to be adored.  As a member of the chart-topping band, Jamison, how could he not?
It seems that the one thing that "teen dream" Peter is missing is the true love that he writes and sings about.
  
Until they meet...

O.K., So there is a bit of instalove, but he's a pop sensation and she's a sheltered farm girl looking for an escape.  I think there is room for that given the time constraints of their situations.
Besides the perfection of the setting and the overall cavity producing sweetness of these two together, makes the instalove a non issue.

Angie Stanton's straight forward and honest tone, gives this story a fresh feeling that makes you want to read more about Peter and Libby.

Even better than the love story however, are the plot twists that take place mid-book.  These heartbreaking and riveting upheavals in the already tumultuous life of  Libby are enough to make readers want to howl with fury.
As much as it breaks one's heart to read.  The author does a wonderful job at allowing Libby's tragedy to play out completely and allowing Libby to show her courage and strength.
Libby's struggle makes Peter's grand gesture all the more unforgettable!  

 If you like Cinderella...ever had a boy band crush....or just love a great "happily ever after"...Rock And A Hard Place is the story for you.
.     

ReadTime spreecast See What We Have In Store for Sept.






Join us today at 1pm EST to find out what we have in store for the month of Sept. As well as enter to win a special giveaway prize! 

A Story For Those Who Like Their Love "Real"

RealTitle:  Real
(Real, Raw, and Ripped #1)
Author:  Katy Evans
Format:  Print
Length:  320 pages
Publisher:  Gallery Books
Rating:  4 Stars

HOT. SEXY. POWERFUL. PAINFUL. REAL. The scorching international bestseller that strips away everything you’ve ever believed about passion . . . .

Remington Tate has a bad-boy rep in and out of the ring, a granite-hard body, and a raw, animal power that sends his female fans into a frenzy. But from the moment their eyes lock, the only woman he wants is Brooke Dumas. His desire is pure, all-consuming, and REAL.

Hired to keep his perfect body working like a machine, Brooke finally has the lucrative sports therapy job she’s been dreaming of. But as she tours the dangerous underground fighting circuit with Remy and his team, Brooke’s own body becomes alive with the most primal of hungers. If what happens between Brooke and Remy is ever as light as a flirtation, it quickly becomes an erotic obsession for them both, and promises so much more.

But their white-hot lust has a dark side—and when Remy’s deepest secret comes to light and Brooke’s familial duties demand action, will the pair be able to hang on, or will everything that once seemed so real suddenly fade away like an illusion?  -Goodreads


My Thoughts
Real, is a love story for those who like their romance a little rough. Remington Tate and Brooke Dumas are two people that are made for each other.  Physical, attractive, wanton, and scarred these two understand each other from the inside out.

Katy Evans achieves the perfect blend of brain, brawn, and heart in Remington.  His body may be made of steel, it becomes more than clear to readers and one special woman, that his heart is made of gold.
Bad boy/good heart/great body is a combination that makes for a great story.  There are however, much darker secrets hidden in Remy's closet that only the light of Brooke's love and a few hundred pages can bring to light.
Not to be outdone...Brooke Dumas proves herself to be quite the Aphrodite, to Remy's Apollo.
An ex-Olymp hopeful; Brooke understands Remy's competitive fire. She also understands his need to recover from past disgrace.
What she doesn't understand is love.
With Remy fighting for her heart and her body...she will.

The one sucker punch in this tale of powerhouse passion is the story of Nora, Brooke's sister.  While all others areas are slow to unfold and very well thought out; the last part of Nora's ordeal seems rushed.  This may be because it is so near the "happily ever after bow".

This is a wonderful first book that reads like a stand alone.  This reviewer can not wait to see what is to come.

Strange Chemistry: Meet Danielle Jenson Press Release!


Hail the Robot Army!
YA Fantasy fans take note: Strange Chemistry has signed a whole trilogy by Danielle Jensen, the first book of which, Stolen Songbird, will be published in the Spring of 2014,
Press-Release-style data-drop follows...

Angry Robot Press Release - Strange Chemistry Signs Danielle Jensen in Three Book YA Fantasy Deal
Strange Chemistry, the YA imprint of Angry Robot Books, is delighted to announce the signing of Danielle Jensen, in a three-book World English Rights deal concluded by Strange Chemistry’s editor Amanda Rutter and Tamar Rydzinski of the Laura Dail Literary Agency.
The first of the three books is called Stolen Songbird and will be published by Strange Chemistry in early 2014.

About Danielle Jensen

The Author, Danielle Jensen


Danielle was born and raised in Calgary, Canada. At the insistence of the left side of her brain, she graduated in 2003 from the University of Calgary with a bachelor’s degree in finance.

But the right side of her brain has ever been mutinous; and in 2010, it sent her back to school to complete an entirely impractical English literature degree at Mount Royal University and to pursue publication. Much to her satisfaction, the right side shows no sign of relinquishing its domination.

Danielle can be found on her website danielleljensen.com as well as on Twitter @dljensen_.

About Stolen Songbird
Trolls are said to love gold. They are said to live underground and hate humans, perhaps even eat them. They are said to be evil.  When Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and sold to the trolls, she finds out that there is truth in the rumours, but there is also so much more to trolls than she could have imagined.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus, the city she hadn’t even known existed under Forsaken Mountain: escape. But the trolls are inhumanly strong. And fast. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.

But something strange happens while she’s waiting - she begins to fall in love with the handsome, thoughtful troll prince that she has been bonded and married to. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods - part troll/part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.

As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter from Goshawk’s Hollow. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch.

Quotable Quotes
Danielle Jensen said: “I am beyond excited to begin work on the trilogy with Amanda and everyone else at Strange Chemistry. It is a dream come true to see my novels on their way to publication.”
Strange Chemistry Editor Amanda Rutter said: “Stolen Songbird simply stole my breath and my heart as I was reading it. I’ve always loved fantasy novels, and this book feels like an absolute classic in the making. For Strange Chemistry to be the home of this trilogy is a great honour!”

Angry Robot and Strange Chemistry Online

Friday Reads #15

It's Friday...What Are Your
The Governess Club: Bonnie (The Governess Club, #2)
Title: The Governess Club:  Bonnie
(The Governess Club #2)
Author:  Ellie MacDonald
Format:  ERC
Length:  100 pages
Publisher:  Avon
Miss Bonnie Hodges, governess to the Darrow family, is desperately trying to hold it together. Tragedy has struck, and she is the sole person left to be strong for the two little boys in her care. When the new guardian arrives, she hopes that things will get better. She wasn't expecting her new employer to be the most frustrating, overbearing, and…handsome man she's ever seen.

Sir Stephen Montgomery is utterly distracted. He should be trying to figure out how his two best friends were killed in a suspicious accident and why the new young viscount seems destined to be the next victim. But he can't concentrate on anything but his growing infatuation with the beautiful, mysterious, and utterly captivating governess.

Together they're doing their best to save the two boys, but will Stephen's feelings for Bonnie get in the way of their search for a killer?  -Goodreads

Learn The Fun and Flirty Lessons of "How to Discipline Your Vampire"

How To Discipline Your VampireTile:  How To Discipline Your Vampire
Author:  Mina Vaughn
Format:  ERC
Length: 280 pages
Publisher:  Pocket Star
Rating:  3.5 Stars

In this exciting paranormal erotic romance, a dominant schoolteacher with a serious role-play fetish finds the perfect submissive in an infamous vampire lover.

Cerise Norrell, Type A substitute teacher by day, is ready to quit being a domme. Despite her best intentions, none of her partners can keep up with her scene fetish and attention to detail—let alone her demand that they have a costume and set waiting every afternoon by the time she’s home from school.


Over a dozen potential subs have left her in the past year, but just when Cerise thinks it’s impossible—that she’ll have to go back to vanilla relationships, or be alone forever—she meets William, who wants to make all her fantasies come true. He turns her home into a geisha’s dream apartment, a concert hall with a grand piano (which he uses to play an original composition while wearing a tuxedo), and even rents an abandoned loft for a zombie apocalypse scene—complete with canned goods.


But there’s something strange about William. Well, a lot of strange things. He must be absurdly rich, since he can afford to provide extravagant costumes and props on a daily basis without having to leave work early. He must be insane, since he puts up with Cerise’s over-the-top demands. And most importantly, he doesn’t redden when he’s spanked, and his skin is as cool as satin sheets. When Cerise discovers she’s become dome to the infamous “Chilly Willy,” as he’s known throughout the BDSM urban lore, she begins to find out there’s a whole lot more to her handsome submissive than a creative mind and a hard body.


And when it’s William, ironically, who starts pressing Cerise to give him the kind of commitment she’s never given anyone, it’ll take everything she has to work through her issues, confront her past, and learn to be vulnerable.  -Goodreads

My Thoughts

Who said that BDSM play couldn't be fun, lighthearted, and flirty?
In Mina Vaughn's How To Discipline Your Vampire, BDSM manages to be all of those things and more.
Cerise Norrell/Mistress Cherry is the wet dream come true for anyone with a "naughty teacher" complex.
She may be the cool, young, substitute teacher that makes all the boys' hormones rage by day, but at night, Mistress Cherry, the demanding dominatrix, is doing more than a little raging of her own.

This story is one that would be classified as BDSM lite.  The reason for this being that the scenes that interaction that Mistress Cherry has with her clients is mostly about role play and scene staging, rather than the more stringent aspects of S&M play.
It is in fact her obsession with role play and her need to find the perfect partner that are the driving forces behind this story.

William is the complete package rich, submissive, handsome, mysterious, and...
Where to start with William.  William is a vampire with some very juicy issues, a long and troubled past, and an innocence that just makes you wan to cuddle him.

William is also where the story starts to get complicated from a reviewer standpoint, because poor Cerise falls so hard for William that she fails to do her homework about him.
This would not be such a problem if she had not been made out to be such a stickler for detail in her domme life.
Issue two comes in after the two of them inter into their agreement.  Mistress Cherry and her sub seem to have a lot more sex than sadism.  What happens when these two come together is great, but is at it's heart a lot more mainstream than the title would lead one to believe.

This is a light read, full of quirk, kink, and tongue-in cheek humor.  The perfect end to a hard day; this book will provide the perfect escape from the cares and stressors of the outside world.


Bewitching Book Tours Presents: A Little Bit Scandalous

18188473A Little Bit Scandalous
Forbidden Love Series Book Three
Robyn DeHart

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC
Date of Publication: 8-12-13

ISBN:  978-1-62266-229-6
ASIN: B00DXJ77EW

Number of pages:  212


Book Description:

A gambler in need of redemption

Monroe Grisham, Duke of Chanceworth, is determined to keep his beautiful young ward, Caroline Jellico, out of his life for her own good. Caroline is all grown up now, making it impossible for him to focus on anything but her presence. Hoping to put her out of sight, he leaves it up to his mother to find her a proper husband before he ruins Caroline himself.

A woman in search of a gamble

Mathematics prodigy, Caroline Jellico, is tired of waiting for the illusive Roe to notice she

A complicated game of seduction

When Roe and Caroline meet across the table, all bets are off. But this game takes more than skill, and the winner may take all but still lose everything.

My Thoughts


Robyn DeHart, never ceases to amaze and delight her readers with tales of brazen woman and dashing men willing to risk everything to follow the call of passion. 
In A Little Scandalous, the third offering from the Forbidden Love series; we are introduced to Roe and Caroline, two players in a high-stakes, winner-take-take all game of hearts.

Ohh finally!  A story where the girl gets to be the roguish gambler, and the guy gets to try to reform her!!!!
It seems that one Miss Caroline Jellico, is quite the card shark.  Or at least her alter ego, Grey, is.
Dressed as a boy, she frequents Rodale's, fleecing the good men folk of their hard earned coin in a backroom game of 21.

The problem.

She's too good, and soon that causes the "front parlor" uppercrusts to wonder about "the boy" in back.
When Grey is forced to play against the Duke of Chanceworth, it is not long before he learns her secret and all bets are off.

This is a fascinating story that just gets better as it evolves.  There are so many layers of self-deception, loathing, and self imposed isolation on the part of Monroe, that Caroline's gambling doesn't seem that big of a deal.

But just you wait...

Caroline is a strong and determined young woman, unafraid to lay her cards on the table, whether it be in the case of love or money.
With the skiddish Duke, she just may have to play her romantic hand a bit closer to the vest.
Just when you thought the terms of this wager couldn't get any more interesting.  We add a few baddies to the mix, who are up to no good and looking to use Caroline's talents to cash in on their biggest payday...no matter who they have to hurt to do so.

This is definitely a "one sitting" read.  While Caroline's story is very much up front.  Monroe provides a great back story.  As is par for the course with Robyn's stories;  the rescuing is never exclusive to the male or female lead, but a mutual thing of beauty.
This is a book that can be read as a standalone, but please, do read the other two books in the series!
 You will be glad you did!

About the Author:


A life-long lover of stories and adventure, it was either become a stuntwoman for the movies or live out those adventures from the safety of her PJ's and computer. Award-winning author, Robyn DeHart chose the latter and couldn't be happier for doing so. Known for her unique plotlines and authentic characters, Robyn is a favorite among readers and reviewers.

Publishers' Weekly claims her books as "sizzling romance" while the Chicago Tribune dubs her "wonderfully entertaining." Robyn is an award-winning author as well as being a four-time RT Bookclub Reviewers' Choice award nominee, and a three-time RomCon Reader's Crown nominee.

Look for Robyn's new trilogy on forbidden love coming from Entangled: A Little Bit Wicked (fall 2012), A Little Bit Sinful (spring 2013) and A Little Bit Scandalous (summer 2013).

Also in 2013, she'll launch a new historical romantic suspense series with NAL, the first in the series is The Secrets of Mia Danvers (2013).

Robyn lives in Texas with her brainy husband, two precocious little girls and two spoiled cats.

https://twitter.com/RobynDeHart

http://www.robyndehart.com

http://pinterest.com/robynwtr/

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/288853.Robyn_DeHart

The Giveaway





WTF Are You Reading 
would like to thank
Robyn DeHart and
 

YA Bound Presents: A Missing Peace...Book Blitz and Trailer Reveal


A Missing Peace
Release Date: 09/01/13

Summary from Goodreads:
A turbulent, emotionally charged YA novel that breaks down barriers and challenges the status quo...

Angry, seventeen-year-old Iraqi war refugee Mirriam Yohanna hates her new life in Killeen, Texas, where the main attraction is a military base, populated with spoiled army brats like Caleb Miller.

Caleb has much to be angry about too, including Mirriam who turns him down flat in front of everyone. Eager for retribution, Caleb agrees to a dare that will see him take Mirriam to the prom and regain his pride.

But their relationship soon moves beyond high school antics. Mirriam and Caleb are bound together by more than location, and as they are forced to work closely together on a school assignment, they start to uncover an explosive story that has the potential to ruin lives — and both of their futures. One single truth changes everything and strengthens their bond.

When Mirriam's family discovers their relationship, they decide it's time to arrange her marriage to a proper Iraqi man. Caleb must convince Mirriam that he is in it for forever — or risk losing her for good.

Pre-order:
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About the Author
I'm a full time ELF keeper and part time writer/blogger/writing instructor. I'm represented by Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyons Literary Agency. I like my tea hot, my romance sweet, and my guys chivalrous. Real men hold open doors, refer to you as ma'am, make promises they keep, and aren't afraid to profess their undying love. It's not breakfast if there aren't carbs(at least, not in the South). Fajitas, carnitas, and churros are just few of my favorite things. Bet you can't guess where I'm from ;)

Where to find Beth Fred:
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Trailer Reveal Organized:

"Indelible" Leaves Quite A Beautiful Impression

Indelible (The Twixt, #1)Title:  Indelible
Author:  Dawn Metcalf
Format:  ERC
Length:  384 pages
Publisher:  Harlequin TEEN
Rating: 5 Stars

Some things are permanent.

Indelible.

And they cannot be changed back.

Joy Malone learns this the night she sees a stranger with all-black eyes across a crowded room—right before the mystery boy tries to cut out her eye. Instead, the wound accidentally marks her as property of Indelible Ink, and this dangerous mistake thrusts Joy into an incomprehensible world—a world of monsters at the window, glowing girls on the doorstep, and a life that will never be the same.

Now, Joy must pretend to be Ink’s chosen  magicone—his helper, his love, his something for the foreseeable future...and failure to be convincing means a painful death for them both. Swept into a world of monsters, illusion, immortal honor and revenge, Joy discovers that sometimes, there are no mistakes.

Somewhere between reality and myth lives…

THE TWIXT


 Indelible is a read for all of  us girls with a soft spot for mysterious boys bearing sharp objects.

Joy Malone meets Ink when he stabs her in the eye.
Why?
She could see him.

Thus begins a love story that one must read to believe.
The world of Indelible, is one filled with magic, monsters, promises, betrayals, and love.

Joy
Joy is a girl trying to find a way to be normal.
Whatever that means.
Her mother is gone, so now it's just her and her father.
She would like a boyfriend, but she's shy.
Boys just don't see her.
Until....

Ink
Timeless.
Beautiful.
Not human.
Dangerous?
Indelible.

The Writing on The Wall
This is a book that draws readers in with one WTF moment and doesn't stop supplying them until it's end.  Readers can't be sure of anything about Ink or his motives toward Joy as the story begins.  In fact, one's first instinct is to protect her.
Then the monsters start coming out the woodwork and you're not quite sure who or what it is that you want to protect her from.
By the time that Ink comes in to explain himself, let's just say he's not anyone's favorite person.
But oh...how quickly things change.

The more that readers and Joy come to know about Ink, his wild child sister, Inq, and their role as Scribes to the Folk; the further she and the audience are drawn into their dangerously enchanting world.

And what a world it is.

Filled to the brim with all sorts of fanciful creatures (most of which one would not want to meet in a dark alley) Joy quickly finds that sticking as close to the two Inks may be the only way that she will make it through this adventure alive.

Love Letters
Though Ink and Joy's relationship starts out as a mistake, it becomes quite clear that they are made for each other.  Both are frightened of their feelings and not quite sure of themselves.
The love that they share is very fresh, innocent, tentative, and sweet.  With everything else that is going on, (you know...the trying to stay alive and all) there doesn't seem to be room for much else.

Final Words
There are a lot of secrets and lies going on in the land of TWIST and Joy, Ink, and Inq seem to be caught right in  middle.
For all their control time and space, it seems that two Inks  and Joy are pawns in a deadly game of WAR.

"The Marriage Trap" Will Ensnare Both Your Heart and Mind

The Marriage Trap (Marriage to a Billionaire, #2)Title:  The Marriage Mistake
(Marriage to a Billionaire #2)
Author: Jennifer Probst
Format:  Print
Length:  328 pages
Publisher:  Pocket Books
Rating:  5 Stars

WIFE WANTED…

Italian billionaire seeks faux fiancée. Willing to agree to anything in return...

In order for his sister to marry, Italian billionaire Michael Conte has to find himself a bride – and fast! When he learns that photographer Maggie Ryan is going to be in Milan, Michael hatches a plan to introduce her to his family as his “fiancée.” Never mind that Maggie is confident, independent, and a control freak. Never mind that she’s everything he doesn’t want in a wife… and everything he wants in his bed!

Convinced that Michael is in love with her married gal pal, Maggie agrees to keep up the ruse if he’ll keep away from her friend. Besides, she’s not attracted to charming, ridiculously hot billionaires who drive her nuts. Once they’re in Italy, however, everything changes – and the sexual tension between Maggie and Michael goes from simmer to naked nuclear meltdown!


But have they found the perfect arrangement… or are they trapped in a make-believe marriage?  -Goodreads



My Thoughts

When the gorgeous, rich, and titled Michael Conte proposes that Maggie be his fake fiancee for a week in Milan; she only agrees so that she can keep him away from the very real torch that she believes he carries for her very married best friend Alexa.
What Maggie fails to understand however, is that it is her fire that has Michael enthralled.

The Marriage Trap is the second book in the Marriage  to a Billionaire series, and just as awesome as the first.  The most striking thing about this read is the fact that Maggie is allowed to be the tough, closed and fearful lead.  Michael, on the other hand is strong, supportive, and tender.

The story this time around is all about family.  Michael's  family, to be exact.  He is a member of an Old World Italian clan, where tradition is law.  So when his younger sister calls to say that she has found love and wants to get married; traditions says that he, as the older brother must be married first...or at least appear to be.

 The thing that makes this novel work is not the passion that takes place between the sheets with these two.  It is instead the emotional bond that is allowed to form between not only Maggie and Michael, but Maggie and his family as a whole.
Maggie's coming together with Michael not only completes her as a woman.  Her acceptance into Michael's family completes her as a person.
Maggie is seen to flower when exposed to their loving warmth.
This is not to say that the passion between the two is not first rate.  The passion that they share is scorching, but there is also a heart-melting tenderness within this read that is sure to make one smile.








Friday Reads #14

It's Friday...What Are Your

Hemlock (Hemlock, #1)

 Title:  Hemlock
(Hemlock #1)
Author:  Kathleen Peacock
Format:  Kindle
Length:  404 pages
Publisher:  Katherine Tegen

Fans of Maggie Stiefvater and the hit television show True Blood will flock to this first book in the supernatural mystery series set in a town where werewolves live in plain sight.

Mackenzie Dobson's life has been turned upside down since she vowed to hunt her best friend Amy's killer: a white werewolf. Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country, and bloodlust is not easy to control. But it soon becomes clear that dangerous secrets are lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, Mac's hometown—and she is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her in grave danger.

Kathleen Peacock's thrilling debut novel provides readers with a mystery that Kimberly Derting, author of The Body Finder, calls "clever and frightening," while Sophie Jordan, New York Times bestselling author of Firelight, raves: "Forget every werewolf book you've ever read. This one breaks the mold." 


Unlock Steampunk Inspired Genius In "Legacy of the Clockwork Key"

Legacy of the Clockwork Key (The Secret Order, #1)Title:  Legacy of the Clockwork Key
(The Secret Order #1)
Author:  Kristin Bailey
Format:  ERC
Length:  403 pages
Publisher:  Simon PULSE
Rating 5 Stars

A teen girl unravels the mysteries of a secret society and their most dangerous invention in this adventure-swept romance set in Victorian London.When a fire consumes Meg’s home, killing her parents and destroying both her fortune and her future, all she has left is the tarnished pocket watch she rescued from the ashes. But this is no ordinary . The clock turns out to be a mechanical key—a key that only Meg can use—that unlocks a series of deadly secrets and intricate clues that Meg is compelled to follow.



Meg has uncovered evidence of an elite secret society and a dangerous inventiton that some will stop at nothing to protect—and that Meg alone can destroy. Together with the handsome stable hand she barely knows but hopes she can trust, Meg is swept into a hidden world of deception, betrayal, and revenge. The clockwork key has unlocked her destiny in this captivating start to a trilogy.


My Thoughts

This book is a fantastic mix of mystery and the inspiring wonders of invention and ingenuity.
 The book's pacing is slow out of the gate, but picks up steadily in the early chapters as the secret of the "pocket watch" is revealed.
The 'nesting box' style of writing, where one discovery or significant occurrence leads directly to the next insures that there is never a lull in the action.
This writing style also makes this a far more complex read than it would otherwise be.
Clues to the mystery which drives the plot are sprinkled throughout the story, and missing said clues can cause the reader to be thrown of the story's map.

The over all tone of the book is very innocent and naive.  The reason for this being that the story is being told from the vantage point of a very sheltered girl in Victorian-era England.  This coupled with the fanciful nature of the toys tend to give the impression that this book has middle grade leanings.
Before accepting this assumption as fact however, one has only to read the last third of the book to witness the story's true complexity.

The love story between Meg and her unlikely hero, serves as the icing on the cake for this adventure laden trip down a steampunk driven wonderland.
They compliment each other brilliantly and their relationship helps to "grow Meg up" a bit.

This is a well done first book that doesn't scream series, choosing instead to transfix readers and transport them into a world that they never want to leave.