Falling in Love: Author Bria Quinlan

The Catching Kind by Bria Quinlan

Hailey Tate thought she was worth more than a straight flush.

Apparently not.

When camera-shy author Hailey Tate’s agent loses a bet and brokers a deal, it leaves Hailey in the last place she wants to be: backed into the corner of Publicity and Paparazzi. Now, thanks to her girl-next-door image and role as pretend girlfriend to a womanizing shortstop, she's getting the attention she always managed to avoid.

Connor Ryan is not only America’s Sexiest Athlete, he’s also the current Bad Boy of Baseball. But when he goes a base too far, management wants to bench him…permanently. One thing he never counted on? Falling for his sweet, fake girlfriend. He’s the guy who can catch anything and now she’s next on his list

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It's hate at first sight when YA author Hailey Tate is blackmailed into be Baseball's Bad Boy, Connor Ryan's fake girlfriend to clean up his image and maybe get her some of that famous exposure:

He glanced at me, his eyes narrowing, before he dropped his feet to the floor and shot out of his seat.
“No. No way.” He pointed at me as if no one knew who he was talking about. “You said she was a stunner.”
“I said she was cute.” This from the over-suited man seated next to him. He glanced at me and then frowned at Catherine. “You said she was cute.”
“She cleans up well.”
Thanks for the support, Catherine.
“She's not my type,” Connor stated as if I weren’t right there.
Not that it wasn’t true. His type was high-profile, famous women. Models, reality stars, actresses, news anchors, senators’ daughters…basically, anyone seven-to-twelve times more famous than me.
“That's the entire point.” The man in the very expensive suit, who I could only assume was Dex, crossed his arms, looking at his client in a way I hoped Catherine didn’t typically look at me.
“I don't care if that's the point.” Connor Ryan raked a gaze over me in disgust. “I won't be seen with someone who doesn't even know how to blow-dry her own hair.”
Everyone’s gazes drifted up toward my hair and I knew—I knew—I was entering nightmare land. I was wrong. This was worse than a Paige & Prejudice review. This was a general assault on my person and I didn't even know why.

Hate to friendship to something more - an enemy to lovers story I bought with all my heart. - Amazon Reviewer

New favorite fake-date rom-com! - Amazon Reviewer

 

Worth the Fall

Kasey Lane is having a bad week.

Understatement.

Her idea of success never involved losing her job, man, and apartment in 24-hours. Now, with nowhere to go and no way to pay for it anyway, Kasey decides it’s time for a fresh start, which means a new apartment, a new career, and…no men.

But as a magnet for ridiculousness and absurd brushes with the law, her start goes from fresh to stale in record time. It doesn’t help that Mr. Wrong keeps showing up during her adventures gone awry and taking over. Now, as Kasey plans her way to independence she has to decide if the only path to success is going it alone...or if maybe a partner in crime can make the journey sweeter.

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Author Bria Quinlan

RWA RITA award finalist and USA Today Best Seller Bria Quinlan writes Diet-Coke-Snort-Worthy Rom Coms about what it's like to be a girl and deal with crap and still look for love. She also writes books for teens that take hard topics and make you laugh through your tears. Some people call them issue books. Some people call them romantic comedies. Bria calls them what-life-looks-like.

Her stories remind you that life is an adventure not to be ignored.

Giveaway Details

Ends 10/1/18

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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The Shipbuilder's Wife by Jennifer Moore {Blog Tour Review and Giveaway}

The Shipbuilder's Wife by Jennifer Moore

Paperback, 272 pages

Published July 2018 

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.

   

The day of her parents' garden party dawns bright as Lydia Prescott eagerly anticipates a marriage proposal from a handsome and wealthy plantation owner. The lovely debutante plans to steal a moment away with her beau, but her plans go terribly awry. Instead of her intended, she is joined by a stranger the largest man she's ever laid eyes on. And it is clear Jacob Steele is there for reasons far more sober than the party. With British raids erupting all around them, it is his job to reassure plantation owners of their safety. In reality, however, Jacob is an espionage agent, and the truth is dire: America is on the verge of invasion by the British.

Blissfully unaware of the danger surrounding her, Lydia basks in the glow of her recent engagement. But her joy is short-lived—a surprise British attack results in a devastating wound, and her plans for the future are shattered. Lost in her devastation, Lydia could never dream that Jacob, that giant of a man she met so briefly, would prove to be her saving grace. And with a war raging around them, she may be called upon to save him too.

 

My Review: 4 Stars

"When one door closes, another will open." And sometimes that other door is better than the first. Lydia was supposed to get engaged, but doesn't when a terrible accident occurs.

Lydia isn't one to dwell on her unfortunate mishap for too long and tries so hard to make the best of her circumstances. Jacob is a busy, secretive man with inner scars. It's enjoyable to watch these two forge their ways through the danger of war-time situations, while settling into new territory.

This book is well researched and shows the hardships that were possible realities for some during the War of 1812. I could feel the ominous danger lurking in the intensity of the setting. Life didn't come easily to these characters, but good things always come after hard struggles, right? My personal preference is for a balance of story and romance and I felt this one was slightly tipped towards the war/story.

I always enjoy a book that can whisk me away to another time and place, especially when I can learn something along the way.

Content: mild violence; mild romance

Schedule: 

*Sept. 3^rd: https://www.rockinbookreviews.com/, https://joyinthemoments.wordpress.com/, http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/, http://mybookaday.com/, http://www.iamareader.com/, https://brightlystreet.com/category/book-reviews/

*Sept. 4^th: http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/, http://bonnieharris.blogspot.com/, http://lifeiswhatitscalled.blogspot.com/,  http://empowermoms.net/

*Sept. 5^th: http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/, http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/, http://fireandicereads.com/, http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/, http://www.kindleandme.com/

*Sept. 6^th: https://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/, http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/, https://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, https://www.lovebugsandpostcards.com/

*Sept. 7^th: http://minreadsandreviews.blogspot.com/, https://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/, http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/, https://www.wishfulendings.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/, http://www.iamareader.com/

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Falling in Love: Author Laurie Lewis

Awakening Avery by Laurie Lewis

"You're depressed," the doctor declared.

"Ya think?" is author Avery Elkins Thompson's sarcastic response. She can’t pull out from the malaise that set in following her husband's untimely death, and her adult children fear they are losing her too.

She can't write, and questions about their father's death leave the family mired in pain. "We need a healing place," her oldest son tells her, suggesting she find it on Anna Maria Island, Florida, a former family vacation spot.

When Avery returns to Baltimore to sell the family's waterfront condo, she meets rodeo-ers-turned-real-estate-brokers Teddie and Rider Davis, and Avery's quiet life will never be the same again. The Davises help arrange a short-term house swap with widower Gabriel Carson from Anna Maria, whose overprotective parenting has resulted in two self-centered, twenty-something daughters. Avery and Gabriel are in for the summer of their lives as they step into one another's messy, complicated worlds.

Still, venturing out on her own again is challenging for Avery, whose experiences at the Ringling's magnificent Ca d'Zan mansion, and with the quirky characters she meets there, eventually awaken her to truths she desperately needs to remember—that God has not forgotten her, and as crazy as life can be, it is possible to laugh and love again.

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Avery sighed as she switched the desk lamp off and headed down the hall, passing the “wall of fame,” where all the kids’ photos were on display. She passed a favorite vacation photo and straightened it, though the frame already hung perfectly square. She knew the frame wasn’t off. She was. More accurately, it was her reaction to a sweet moment from years ago on one of the family’s nightly walks along the beach on Anna Maria Island in Florida that was off kilter. Jamie snapped the photo of Avery and Paul as they posed before the fabled beach house of a man who had become a legend along the island. Only after the photo was printed did Avery realize that Jamie had actually caught the widowed owner of the sprawling Victorian home standing like a solitary ghost on the widow’s walk. He and his solemn, lonely watch contrasted sharply with the happy images of Avery and Paul in the foreground.

Avery’s finger traced along the image of Gabriel Carson, the mysterious, romantic widower. He had so fascinated Avery’s writer’s instinct that she hounded the locals for more information on him until she discovered where his florist’s shop was located. Her cheeks still flushed when she recalled how she studied the handsome loner from outside his business’s storefront window, watching him chat and laugh with the waiting customers as he arranged their opulent bouquets. But when they exited, leaving him alone, Avery watched his eyes dim as his face settled into quiet soberness.

His aura had haunted her for weeks, and when she and the family returned home to Utah from their summer jaunt, she fashioned a character in one of her books after the intriguing Mr. Carson.

Avery bit her upper lip and shrank, as goosebumps spread across her arms in shame. How many times she had given thanks that she and Paul weren’t that man, mired in enduring mourning. It all seemed so ironic. So selfish. So shameful.

“I’m right there with you,” she said to the man in the photo.

"It will melt your heart, kick off forgotten emotions and have you rooting for a love that was past due. You're going to some tissues for this one."

"As always, Ms. Lewis writes characters who really make the story special . . . They are portrayed in such a way that the story becomes ‘real’… entirely believable, and very relatable."

"A wonderful second chances story."

"Wow. Catching my breath...I simply cannot put into words what a beautiful ride this was. It was complex and raw and real. This author does a phenomenal job, in my opinion, of weaving plot and character in such a way as they are seamless. I felt like I was living in the pages. Once my heart recovers I will be diving back in for another read. Simply wonderful."

 

Author Laurie Lewis

Wherever life takes her, Laurie Lewis will always be a Marylander at heart—a weather-whining lover of God, Maryland crabs, American history, and the sea. She’s an award-wining hybrid author of ten published novels.

Her contemporary romantic fiction novels include Awakening Avery, (2018), Love on a Limb, (2017), Sweet Water, (2017), The Dragons of Alsace Farm (2016), and Unspoken (2004), written as Laurie Lewis. Using the pen name L.C. Lewis, She wrote the five volumes of her award-winning FREE MEN and DREAMERS historical fiction series, set against the backdrop of the War of 1812: Dark Sky at Dawn (2007), Twilight’s Last Gleaming (2008), Dawn’s Early Light (2009), Oh, Say Can You See? (2010), and In God is Our Trust, (2011).

She’s the recipient of the 2017 RONE for Inspirational Fiction, a New Apple Literary Award, A BRAGG Medallion, and she was twice-named a USA Best Books and Whitney Award Finalist.

She’s currently working on a sequel to Love on a Limb, a WWII biopic, (2020) and under contract with a traditional publisher for a romantic suspense novel expected for a 2020 releasee.

Laurie loves to hear from readers.

Giveaway Details

$25 Amazon Gift Code or $25 in Paypal Cash

Ends 10/1/18

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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Jaclyn and the Beanstalk by Mary Ting {Book Blast with Giveaway}

Jaclyn and the Beanstalk by Mary Ting

What fate awaits a girl who hears monsters at night…

Sixteen-year-old Jaclyn looks up to her father. An honest man who once fought for the king, he now teaches Jaclyn how to use her wits—and her sword.

But he has a secret. And his secret may have a connection to the one thing Jaclyn is hiding from him.

Upon hearing “monsters” are terrorizing the small villages around Black Mountain, Jaclyn’s father and his friends head out to hunt them … but they don’t return.

Just $1.99 on Amazon

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Author Mary Ting

International Bestselling/Award Winning Author Mary Ting/M. Clarke resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. She also toured with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children’s chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.


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$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

Ends 9/23/18

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. The giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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Finding Us (Pine Valley #5) by Heather B. Moore {Review}

Finding Us (Pine Valley #5) by Heather B. Moore

Kindle Edition, 257 pages

Publication: September 6th 2018 by Mirror Press 

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own and were voluntarily given

  

Felicity Miner is not normally an anxious person, and she’s been on her own since high school. But after a shoplifter steals from her bookshop, she calls the cops. When Officer Leo Russo shows up, Felicity has to tell herself that just because the romance novel she’s been reading has a hero police officer doesn’t mean she needs to project her imagination onto the real man. Yes, Officer Russo is unexpectedly generous, and he helps make Felicity’s home more secure when her worries won’t settle down. But the more Felicity is around Officer Russo, the more she imagines a future between them. Is he merely doing his duty, protecting and serving the citizens of Pine Valley, or is there potential for something more? 

 

My Review: 5 Stars

 

Setting--check. Great characters--check. Swoony romance--check. This book has all the makings of a sweet escape read. 

 

First of all, Felicity loves books and so do I. Secondly, she's a little intimidated by Officer Leo Russo, who is a big, handsome, sweet cop, and right there, she became very realistic in my book.

Leo and Felicity had very different pasts and I love the way they merge their life experiences and personalities to forge a connection that will knock your socks off. The unexpected connection that zings between Leo and Felicity made me swoon throughout nearly the whole entire book. The romantic anticipation gave me butterflies.

 

The setting is perfect, too. I love autumn and all the talk of the cool air, hot chocolate, and jam has me ready to toss summer to the wind. Pine Valley has become a place near and dear to my heart and I love every day I get to spend in this place, even though it is just in my imagination. 

 

Content: mild, swoony romance