The Striker's Chance by Rebecca Crowley

 

Summary:

 

Landing the PR contract for North Carolina's new soccer team could take Holly Taylor's career to the next level. Her task? Make Kepler "Killer" de Klerk, an athlete with a party-hard reputation, a star. But revamping the sexy footballer's image while battling her unwanted attraction to him is easier said than done.

The car accident that derailed Kepler's European career also gave him some much-needed perspective. He's ready to give up on fame and focus on the game he loves. The last thing he needs is a headstrong brunette pushing him back into the spotlight, even if butting heads with her is the most fun he's had in ages.

The more time Holly spends with Kepler, the more she sees how different he is from his tabloid persona. But when she's offered her dream job for a price, she finds herself torn between the career she's spent years building and the man she doesn't want to give up.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 149 pages (Kindle)

Source: NetGalley.com

Available Formats: E-book

Publication Date: September 2nd 2013 by Carina Press

 

I'm not sure what it is lately, but I seem to be picking some pretty damn awesome books to request from NetGalley, especially since the books I've been having the best luck with are shorter than 200 pages and that typically doesn't fit well with me.

 

The Striker's Chance is author Rebecca Crowley's romantic debut and I have to say she made sure it was a fantastic one in my opinion. I haven't always had the best of luck with the sports romance sub-genre but this is the epitome of how they should be written in my opinion.

 

The book centers around South African born soccer player Kepler and his PR manager Holly. First off I liked both characters right off the bat. Usually I either really like the heroine or the hero from the get go so it's rare for me to like both main characters from the start, but Kepler and Holly were just so likable.

 

Kepler, is feeling out of place, old, useless and is trying to get back into shape and the swing of things when tiny Holly comes into his life and changes everything. They were one of those couples that just fit together so well I could envision them as a real couple, their chemistry was apparent right from the get go but it so wasn't a case of insta-love with these two. Their relationship was slow to build which I found surprising but the fact that the author was able to write a story spanning several weeks/months in such a short story was excellent and I wish I saw more authors take their time writing romances this way. Kepler was so sweet and a little brooding but it fit with him and his circumstances, he was smart too and he wasn't domineering and all alpha male which I loved seeing. Holly was funny, a little naïve, had some trust and control issues but those are some of the things I really liked about her because she was so normal.

 

I also really enjoyed the character's dialogue, both of them were funny and I loved how accurately the author was able to depict the awkwardness of certain situations that arose in the book, it seemed like a real love story that happened to two real people. Both had great personalities and I liked how they fit together as a whole. While the book was sweet at times when it counted things did get heated and I liked the way the author handled those situations.

 

Overall, I thought The Striker's Chance was funny, witty, realistic, charming and had a great pace and a really good storyline where soccer was actually a main element in the book and not something that is only mentioned once throughout. It had me smiling the whole time I read it and I'm really looking forward to reading more by Rebecca Crowley.

 

I would recommend this one to fans of contemporary romances with a sports theme and those who are looking for a shorter but well written story with two great characters with perfect chemistry.

 

 

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

 

I read this book for the following reading challenges:

 

2013 150+ Reading Challenge

2013 Sports Romance Reading Challenge

 

 Loved It!
★★★★★

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What Once Was Perfect (Wardham #1) by Zoe York

 

Summary:

 

Heading home always stirs up mixed emotions for Laney Calhoun. Twelve years ago she left for graduate school, broken-hearted. She’s found professional success, but positive personal relationships have proved elusive. Running into her ex-boyfriend fans flames she thought long extinguished, and causes a renewed interest in love. Not with Kyle, of course. Never again. But as sparks fly and items of clothing disappear, she scrambles to keep her emotions in check.

Kyle Nixon let Laney slip away once. Their chemistry together is undeniable, but steamy sex is not enough to convince her to let him back into her heart. Even if she did trust him again, her medical career is five hundred kilometers away from the hometown that he loves, and the life that he once chose over her.

What Once Was Perfect is a short and sexy contemporary romance novel set in Wardham, Ontario, a fictitious small farming community on the shores of Lake Erie.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 170 pages (Paperback)

Source: NetGalley.com 

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Publication Date: July 1st 2013 by Zoe York

 

A few days back I was surfing NetGalley, yes that's what I do in my spare time but shush, you know you find yourself perusing their stock of books up for review just like I do. Anyways, I was on the website (going a little request happy) and I stumbled across this one and I just knew that I would love it. I mean come on it's written by a Canadian author and it's set in an albeit fictional Ontario town but ONTARIO WAS IN IT! This is big, I don't know about you but I just love when my province is mentioned in a book so the author got a big thumbs up for that.

Anyways, yesterday afternoon I decided I needed something to read. I'd just finished a 334 page book and was in the mood for something light, fun and a little bit sexy so I turned to my trusty kindle and saw this one sitting there and decided to give it a go and proceeded to read it on and off the rest of the day and I enjoyed every minute of it.

I'm a sucker for second chance love stories so Kyle and Laney's story was perfect, plus it was set in a small town and around the holidays, two other themes I love to see in my contemporary romances. Right away I liked Laney, yeah she had more hang-ups about relationships than more men that I know but I liked her fire. She's a workaholic but totally devoted to her patiants and to her family even though she lives in Chicago and they live in her hometown of Wardham. I thought she was sweet and funny and definetly not a woman who will let a man walk all over her which I thought was really refreshing.

The story basically centers around Laney's Christmas homecoming and it seems like the fates are frowning upon her when she encounters her ex-fiancée who broke her heart 12 years ago, the one who turned her off love, and the one who made her fear commitment.

Then there was Kyle, our handsome heroine, the heart breaker and the primary school teacher who I didn't really expect to like as much as I did. I really didn't I figured that I would totally be against him and Laney being together because of how he hurt her but he was just perfect. He was the most refreshing character to me. He wasn't a pushover but her definitely wasn't as controlling as some men in romance novels were. He was actually really sweet and understanding, and funny.

The two of them together was just grand and I loved reading about their love story. The fact that it was set around the holidays just made it all that much more perfect for me because I love Christmas and I think it's the perfect season to find love and rediscover old loves as well. I liked how the characters already had a past history and that while much of the novel takes place around the holidays there was no insta-love and it was great to see their love for each other grow as the story went on and their chemistry was so hot I swear my kindle was burning up.

Overall, I absolutely loved reading Zoe York's first novel and can't wait to read the second book in this series as soon as it comes out. The writing was great, there was no problem with the pace of the novel and I think the relationship was very realistic as were her characters. Kyle and Laney are absolutely going down as one of my favourite book couples and I really hope to see them make a brief appearance in the next book in the series.

I would recommend What Once Was Perfect was a great love story, sweet and fun but steamy where it counted. This one made me smile throughout the book and giggle more often then not with Laney and Kyle. If you like contemporary romance and want something that isn't too long and set in a small town during the holidays I highly suggest giving this one a read immediately!

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

I read this book for the following reading challenges:

 

2013 150+ Reading Challenge

 

 Loved It!
★★★★★

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Play by Play (Play Makers #1) by Kate Donovan

Summary:

Former college football star Jake Dublin’s wildly popular sports blog also details his personal life. And lately it’s all about Sophie, the pretty young woman who just moved into his apartment building. His readers know her only as “Elevator Girl,” and they’re all rooting for Jake to score.

The blog posts and banter with his followers are all in good fun, and he fully intends to come clean with the woman he’s wooing and wowing. That is, until she confides that she grew up in a house full of jocks and even dated a few. Her verdict? Never again!

Jake knows he needs to confess. But somewhere along the line he fell in love with Sophie and can’t stand the thought of losing her. So he procrastinates, and blogs, and digs himself deeper into a hole, until it all leads to a showdown that’s so nail-biting, not even the best play-by-play guy could ever have seen it coming.
Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 85 pages (E-book)
Source: NetGalley.com
Available Formats: E-book
Publication Date: September 9th 2013 by Beyond the Page

I'm going to be honest, since I got my Kindle up and running again I may or may not have relapsed on NetGalley. I also may or may not have gone crazy requesting some titles and I may or may not have been on the look out for new authors for me to read like Kate Donovan.

Since I decided to participate in the 2013 Sports Romance Reading Challenge I've been slacking but lately I've been trying to make progress with it so when I saw this was available on NetGalley, I downloaded anyway even though I was filled with trepidation since I don't have the best track record with novellas but recently I've been doing okay with them and I hoped my good streak would continue with this as well.

Unfortunately for me Play by Play just fumbled around for me. I didn't not like it but I didn't not not like it. It was one of those middle of the road novellas. My problem with the story was the characters. I liked the way that the story was told and the fact that Jake was a sports blogger who blogged about Elevator Girl (Sophie) was a neat way of setting up their romance but the characters and I just didn't vibe together.

Jake was sweet, I'll give him that but he was just so dull. I didn't find much to be excited about he's more of the guy friend not the boyfriend type. He was cute, sweet, mildly charming but I just didn't see the boyfriend potential that Sophie saw in him. As for Sophie, I didn't care for her much either. She was mediocre and far too insipid for my tastes. The girl couldn't make up her mind about anything and I didn't like the way she shut Jake out FOR NO REASON. But, I will say it added some much needed drama to the story. Plus, the chemistry between the two was there but I think it could have been expanded on and their sex scenes were just plain awkward and the dialogue was a little forced.

That being said, I didn't mind the novella as a whole. There were just 3 things I would have fixed and those were what I just mentioned. The actual premise of the novella was great and I enjoyed reading Jake's blog posts, and I really enjoyed that much of the story was told from his point of view (though it did alternate between him and Sophie). I thought it was so refreshing to see a romance from a mans perspective and I would love to see more romances written in the same way. Also, this was advertised as a sports romance and for once it turned out that sports were actually a big integral part of the over all story line not just some added in snippet so the author could say it was a sports romance.

Overall, this wasn't the best or the worst thing I've read this year but it' right in the middle. It was quick, and fun but there were some issues with it though it did have it's pros as well. I liked the fact that I was able to knock another new to me author off my list and I look forward to reading more by Kate Donovan soon.

I would recommend Play by Play to fans of contemporary romance and sports romances who are looking for a quick read in between novels. This would be a great little afternoon read while your relaxing after cleaning up or just in need of a little romance fix.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

I read this book for the following reading challenges:

 

2013 150+ Reading Challenge

2013 Sports Romance Reading Challenge

 

 It Was Okay!
★★ 1/2

 

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One Thousand and One Nights by Ruth Browne

 

Summary:

Sheri spends her days fighting zombies and her nights chained to a wall, earning her every breath by telling stories to her captor Aleksy—stories that make them both forget the ruined world. Sheri could put up with the conditions—at least she knows her sister is safe in the community Aleksy leads—until she realizes she’s falling for him...even though he wants her dead.When Aleksy allowed Sheri and her sister into his compound, he didn’t know about the zombie bite on her back. It's only a matter of time before she turns into one of the rising dead and threatens their existence, but Aleksy has a secret need for Sheri and her stories. For everyone’s safety, he chains her to his bedroom wall, hoping for just one more day. But how long will the community allow Aleksy to ignore his own rule: always kill the infected. Always.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 68 pages (E-book)

Source: NetGalley.com

Expected Publication Date: September 30th 2013 by Entangled: Ever After

Now that I've finally got my Kindle up and running I've been speeding through a lot of ARCs I've requested from NetGalley and I've been able to request a bunch of new ARCs just like One Thousand and One Nights.

One Thousand and One Nights was my first read from the Entangled Ever After line and while I'm always a little wary of reading anything under 100 pages in length something about this one screamed "READ ME" (I suspect it was the funky cover). So there I was reading it in the doctors office and I got the whole thing done before the doctor showed up.

Lately, and I suspect it's because the new season of The Walking Dead is just around the corner and I've been craving something, anything really with zombies in it but I wanted something light and quick to read as well so this little novella was just what I needed.

I really liked Sheri, she was spunky, passionate and completely devoted to her sister and she was willing to die for her and in fact put herself at the mercy of those who wanted her dead just for the sake of her sister. The only thing I didn't like about her was how free she was with her goods. But, she quasi redeemed herself by having such a fond affinity for books.

Alex, or Aleksy, was a but of a conundrum for me, I never really got a true feel for him. I felt sorry for him because like 99% of the human population he lost a loved one to the zombie apocalypse but he was far to arrogant, closed off and rude for me to ever form a bond with. However, I suspect that's because of the length of the novella more than anything.

Overall, I did enjoy One Thousand and One Nights quite a bit. It really ended up surprising me since I have such a strong dislike for novellas but Ruth Browne is definitely a talented story teller because the only reason I'm not giving this a higher rating is due to the length and wishing that the story as quick and hot as it was burned out too quickly for my tastes. I really hope that the author continues writing books about Sheri and Aleksy because of the cliffhanger like ending we were left with. I can totally see the two of them in a full length novel and their chemistry together was great. Plus I liked that the novella had more than just sex in it and had an actual story line. I'm looking forward to giving more of this author's stuff a try in the future.

I would highly recommend One Thousand and One Nights to fans of novellas, zombies, updated fairy tales, women who can kick ass and the strong, silent type sort of men that pine after women like that. If you love your ladies snarky, cheeky and witty and are looking for a quick read check this one out as soon as you can.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

I read this book for the following reading challenges:

 

2013 150+ Reading Challenge

 

Really Liked It!
★★★ 1/2

 

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To All the Rakes I've Loved Before (Honeycote #1.5) by Anne Barton

Summary:

After being jilted by her former beau, Miss Amelia Wimple retreated to her Mayfair town house and her ever-growing collection of gossips rags. Now, almost two years later, not even her beloved cousins, Rose and Olivia Sherbourne, can persuade her to give love another chance. But an unexpected midnight caller may open her heart once more.

Lord Stephen Brookes is the prince o...more After being jilted by her former beau, Miss Amelia Wimple retreated to her Mayfair town house and her ever-growing collection of gossips rags. Now, almost two years later, not even her beloved cousins, Rose and Olivia Sherbourne, can persuade her to give love another chance. But an unexpected midnight caller may open her heart once more.

Lord Stephen Brookes is the prince of pleasure, the duke of decadence-and it seems his exploits have finally caught up with him. When Stephen comes to Amelia seeking refuge, she can’t deny him . . . or the intense desire he sparks. As he attempts to heal her broken heart, they indulge in a private passion unlike anything either has experienced. Stephen knows sweet, sensual Amelia is meant to be his one and only. Now, he will do whatever it takes to convince her that a rake really can change his ways.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 100 pages (E-book)
Source: NetGalley.com
Available Formats: E-book
Publication Date: September 3rd 2013 by Forever Yours

Last night I curled up with my Kindle for the first time in months (I've been reading my e-books on Mr. Turning the Pages' iPad) and this was the one I ended up reading. I've been reading quite a bit of romance lately in particular the historical romance genre and I wanted something quick, fun, and new to read so this totally fit the bill.

I had never heard of the author before so I think To All the Rakes I've Loved Before was an excellent introduction to Anne  Barton's writing style and I've got to say that as someone who is not a fan of novella's I really enjoyed this one.

Amelia and Stephen were a great couple and I absolutely adored their pairing. The chemistry between the two was immediately apparent even though they both kind of didn't expect it there were at least some feelings there already. I loved the friendly banter between the two and wouldn't hesitate to call them one of the cutest couples I've read about this year. I really liked how the relationship between them developed even though there was a major case of insta-love in this one it didn't bring the story crashing down like it tends to. Instead I felt that their feelings were genuine and the passion that Stephen had for Amelia was admirable, she totally had him wrapped around her little finger.

I liked that Amelia wasn't your typical historical romance heroine. Yes she was a little naive, but she was also a little more cynical than most of the heroines in the genre after she got jilted and Stephen was the typical rake but I actually found that I liked him right away especially the way he was willing to work to change Amelia's mind about him and the prospect of marriage. I thought he was really charming and sweet.

Overall, I think that To All The Rakes I've Loved Before was a good little novella to read while I was in between books. I liked the way Anne Barton set their romance up and she really surprised me since I don't really enjoy novellas. For once the insta-love in a story didn't bother me and I think she handled it really well. There was plenty of laughs in this sweet little novella but there were a couple really steamy parts mixed in as well to counter the sweetness. I am definitely looking forward to reading the first book in this series as soon as I can get my hands on a copy.

I would recommend this novella to fans of Anne Barton and those who haven't read her yet. This novella is the perfect thing to pick up in between books if you're a historical romance fan who likes some giggles with her love stories. The novella can be read as a standalone and you'll have no problem following the story if you haven't read the first book in the Honeycote series.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

I read this book for the following reading challenges:

 

2013 150+ Reading Challenge

Really Liked It!
★★★★

 

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Never Desire a Duke (One Scandalous Season #1) by Lily Dalton

 

Summary:

 

A secret from his past holds the key to their future...

A Marriage Beyond Hope

Lady Sophia has long been estranged from her husband, Lord Vane Barwick, the Marquess of Claxton, whose rumored list of amorous conquests includes almost every beautiful woman of the ton. Yet a shocking encounter with him in a crowded ballroom—and a single touch—are all it takes to reawaken her furious passion for him. But how can she trust the man who crushed her dreams and took away the one thing she wanted most?

A Love Beyond Reason

Lord Claxton has never forgiven himself for the youthful mistake that ruined his marriage to Lady Sophia. Now, after nearly a year abroad, the reformed rogue vows to win back the only woman he's ever truly loved. He'll do whatever it takes to prove he can be the honorable husband she deserves—and the passionate lover she desires. As the snowdrifts deepen outside their ancestral home, can they rekindle the flame that burned so bright and find a new path to forever?

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 416 pages (Mass Market Paperback)

Source: NetGalley

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Expected Publication Date: September 24th 2013 by Grand Central/Forever

 

Yesterday I requested Never Desire a Duke via the publisher through NetGalley and since I'm on the publisher's auto-approval list I didn't have to wait to be approved which served me well since I loved Never Desire a Duke so much it would have sucked if I had had to wait.

 

I'm a huge fan of historical romances, I have been since I started reading the genre and I especially love historical romances that have lots of banter, wit and chemistry between the hero and heroine. Plus I love when the book centers on an already married couple like the one in this romance. It's one of my favourite themes in historical romances and it's one that I don't see that often which is what really prompted me to request it.

 

Never Desire a Duke is Lily Dalton's debut and I think she did a really fantastic job. Sophia and Vane (Lord Claxton) were absolutely marvelous together. The chemistry they had throughout the novel practically leaped of the screen of my iPad. Set during the holiday's we see the couple get reacquainted with each other after they've spent a year apart after a tragedy that struck them when they were in the early days of their marriage. We see the couple go through some tough ups and downs, come to grips with how they feel about themselves and each other as well as get a glimpse at a great love story all at the same time.

 

 The book was full of laughs and there were times I found myself laughing and other times when Vane irritated me with his lack of sensitivity and lack of thinking where I wanted to hit him. Vane was a bit of a conundrum for me. I liked him at first, and then I didn't like him and then by the end of the book I loved him. His complete and utter devotion to Sophia was really admirable especially when he owned up to his mistakes and admitted his wrong doings. He really did love her and that showed. As for Sophia, I liked her right from the beginning and my heart really went out to her. She was smart, funny, and witty enough that she stood out from a lot of heroines that I've read about in the past. I really liked how she was able to admit her wrong doings as well.

 

Lily Dalton did a very good job in creating likable, realistic characters that were not perfect and flaws in their personalities but that is exactly what I liked to have in my historical romance novels. The story line was very sweet and I liked the fact that the book was set during Christmas since I've always really liked holiday romances and this one is definitely my favourite Christmas romance by far. The pace of the romance was just right and I didn't feel as if the story line was rushed whatsoever and everything was done very well. The love scenes were spicy but they didn't take up the whole of the novel which I really liked.

 

Overall, I think Lily Dalton's Never Desire a Duke was a great historical romance debut and I can't wait to read book two in the One Scandalous Season series that deals with Daphne, Sophia's younger sister. I hope it's just as good as this one but Daphne and her man have a lot to live up to when it comes to the chemistry part.

 

I would recommend Never Desire a Duke to all fans of historical romance novels especially set during the holidays where the book is more about the characters. If you're tired of the dreaded influx of insta-love that has been plaguing the genre than this one is the perfect one to read, Lily Dalton is a fresh voice in the genre and she's definitely someone to watch out for.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

 

I read this book for the following reading challenges:

 

2013 150+ Reading Challenge

 

Loved it!
★★★★★

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The Island by Jen Minkman

 

Summary:

 

‘I walk toward the sea. The endless surface of the water extends to the horizon, whichever way I look.

Our world is small. We are on our own, and we only have ourselves to depend on. We rely on the Force deep within us, as taught to us by our forefathers.

If I were to walk westward from here, I would come across a barrier – the Wall. Behind it, there are Fools. At least, that’s what everyone says.

I have never seen one.’

Leia lives on the Island, a world in which children leave their parents to take care of themselves when they are ten years old. Across this Island runs a wall that no one has ever crossed. The Fools living behind it are not amenable to reason – they believe in illusions. That’s what The Book says, the only thing left to the Eastern Islanders by their ancestors.
But when a strange man washes ashore and Leia meets a Fool face to face, her life will never be the same. Is what she and her friends believe about the Island really true?

Or is everyone in their world, in fact, a Fool?

(Please note: this novella contains a few references to the famous sci-fi movie Star Wars which are pivotal to the plot. None of the characters in The Island are in any way related to the characters in the movie. Leia is named after one of the ancient heroes of her culture/religion.)

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 138 pages (E-book)

Source: NetGalley ARC

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Publication Date: May 28th 2013 by Patchwork Press

 

The Island was my second read by author Jen Minkman and though I absolutely loved her novel Shadow of Time and haven't stopped raving about it (I think I almost have Mr. Turning the Pages convinced enough to give it a try) I was still nervous about reading this one. I'm not a fan of novellas except for the rare one that I read and those occur maybe once or twice a year but I really should have known better because just like Shadow of Time  I loved The Island.

 

Since this was such a short read I'm not going to mention any spoilers in the novel since I don't want to ruin the book for anyone but I will talk about the parts I enjoyed about The Island and what I didn't like so much.

 

The Island was a very unique dystopian read that was intriguing and thought provoking which I didn't expect from it at all. I went in hoping for a fun read (which it was) but didn't expected to find myself thinking about it so much but that seems to be a pattern with Jen's writing as I had the same reaction to Shadow of Time when I read it.

 

I thought the plot was very well thought out. Jen managed to entertain as well as make me thing about what she was writing about. The societies of the people especially Leia's people's beliefs was interesting and definitely unexpected and utterly surprising. I loved the uniqueness of the plot because it was so refreshing and complex despite the book's short length.

 

The characters were realistic despite their odd circumstances and the societies they were born into they were still very normal though I did sense a bit of a Lord of the Flies mentality so perhaps my definition of normal is off. Leia was likeable and I really enjoyed her as a main character. Even though she had been born into such a strange way of life she still questioned things and I liked her refusal to except certain things that she learned as well as how strong of a character she became.

 

The other characters were good too though I did wish that there had been a wee bit more character development with the side characters. I wanted to see a little more emotion from some of the side characters and that is the one thing that was a drawback for me though it is one that I think can be looked past due to the quality of the plot and it wasn't as though they were one dimensional. It's more of a personal preference of mine to have a little more substance to characters I read about though I do understand that due to the length of the novella that things had to be pared down.

 

Overall, The Island was a very good read. It was fast paced, had a distinct air of adventure and discovery and I thought it was the perfect quick read that went by fast but still had quite a bit of substance. The writing was very good, characters were interesting and the plot was unique. I can honestly say that Jen Minkman is one of my favourite YA authors and I hope she continues writing because as longs as she does I'll be reading and buying her books.

 

I would highly recommend The Island to people who enjoy YA Dystopian novels that are looking for a quicker read that still packs a certain amount of punch and think this is the perfect story to immerse yourself in for the afternoon.

 

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

Really Liked It!
★★★★

 

 

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When We Touch (Whiskey Creek 0.5) by Brenda Novak

 

Summary:

 

You're invited to a wedding in Whiskey Creek, Heart of the Gold Country

Unfortunately, it's the wrong wedding. Olivia Arnold is arranging the festivities—and it's the hardest thing she's ever done. Because she should be marrying Kyle Houseman. They were together for more than a year…. But her jealous sister, Noelle, stole him away—and now she's pregnant.

All their friends in Whiskey Creek know as well as Olivia does that Kyle's making a mistake. His stepbrother, Brandon, knows it, too. But Kyle's determined to go through with it, for his child's sake.

Olivia's devastated, but surprisingly Brandon—the black sheep of the family--is there to provide comfort and consolation. The intensity between them, both physical and emotional, shows Olivia that maybe Kyle wasn't the right man for her….

But is Brandon?

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com 

Length: 102 pages (E-book)

Source: NetGalleyARC

Available Formats: E-book

Publication Date: August 1st 2012 by Mira

 

 

When I read When We Touch back in 2012 I was a little skeptical about how I would feel about it since Contemporary Romance novels aren't my favourite but having read a historical romance by the author and having really enjoyed it I had to give it a try.

 

I was not expecting to like this one very much because of the genre and the fact that it was a novella but When We Touch ended up surprising me a lot by being a more detailed well thought out novel than I though it would have been.

 

I liked the story line, the whole sisters fighting over a man thing was amusing but mostly I wanted to smack the hell out of Noelle for stealing Olivia's boyfriend Kyle and getting pregnant by him. Plus she made Olivia suffer by making her plan their shot gun wedding and no one seems to care about her feelings not even their very own mother.

 

I just felt so bad for Olivia, she was such a sweet and kind character I hated the position her sister and mother put her in. The fact that her sister's happiness was more important than the act of betrayal boggled my mind and mad me so angry! So when Olivia grew a back bone in the later parts of the story I was so glad. I also really liked the fact that she went for Brandon despite her reservations I thought they were a very good match and I liked the realism that the relationship represented even if it was sort of an insta-love situation. I say sort of because Brandon and Olivia knew each other prior to beginning their relationship but they didn't know each other very well and their feels for each other developed quickly.

 

I thought that the characters in this e-novella were wonderfully developed. Considering this book was only 102 pages long I was surprised to find both a character and plot driven read in such a short book. The different dynamics between all the characters were interesting and made me laugh and get angry and other times I just felt sad for the whole situation Olivia was going through but I'm glad that she found Brandon who seemed to compliment her personality so well.

 

When We Touch was a very well penned novella and is what I think is a great start to a small town romance series. The author is great at writing romances and I loved how real her characters were in this book and I will absolutely be reading the next book in this series.

 

I highly recommend When We Touch to all fans of contemporary small town romances. This was a very quick read and a great introduction to the series and makes for the perfect afternoon read especially now that the weather is warmer and can sit outside with a cold drink and slip away to Whiskey Creek.

 

 *I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

 

Really Liked It!
★★★★

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